Twin Seas: A Reflected Life
by DarkBright Cipher
Summary: Enterprise has started to open up due to the efforts of Belfast. Her sea no longer feels clouded by what she once understood as just a life of war. Enterprise- unknowingly- captures the hearts of two pivotal people in her life. Human love is just another emotion that she hasn't gotten the hang of after all. It will be harder when a cracked mirror stares back at her.
1. Gray Ghost Catches

**This story takes some inspiration from the anime. I play the mobile game of Azur Lane but mostly on a casual level. When the anime came out, I watched the dubbed version of it mostly for the accents and was pretty impressed by it for it being an adaptation like the Neptunia anime. It had its weak moments, but I adored the pairing of Enterprise and Belfast greatly. Pairings that have a strong contrast with each other are always the best. From the straight man comedy act paired with a ditzy character, to a hopeful character that sees light inside a damaged soul always adds that spice. Opposites attract and I love it when the reason for them being together is that they both want to respond to the other's heart. The anime gave me a new appreciation for all the characters, and this is a story that I wanted to share.**

**Final note: Took some creative liberties with it and as of now, I've only seen the first ten episodes of the anime as the last two aren't out yet at the time of me making this story. I'm not versed in the lore of Azur Lane so there might be some mistakes. Thank you for reading and enjoy.**

**Chapter 1: Gray Ghost Catches**

It was a sunny day in Azur Lane, and all the ship girls were enjoying the warm day.

Inside the cafeteria hall, a maid with long white hair with a blue tint to it was doing some light reading. She was pulled from her book when another woman with long white hair, purplish-blue eyes, and a captain's hat sat across from her.

"Hello, Belfast," she said flatly, yet it still invoked a warm greeting.

"Ah, good morning, miss Enterprise," she said with a smile that was responded by the other.

"You weren't there to greet me when I woke up today. It made me feel like I did something wrong." Said Enterprise with a hidden fear in her casual tone that that might be the case.

"Heavens no, miss. There was an urgent report I needed to take care of and I'm afraid the morning slipped away from me."

"I see." Enterprise picked up her coffee to sip it, yet Belfast could tell that a small smile of relief had formed around the corners of her face.

Belfast stood transfixed at the woman's face that was across from her. It held a level of charm amongst her when she smiled. That's not to say that her sadness and doubts didn't hold its own beauty. She wondered why she felt this way and her mind had yet to accept what her heart had already.

"Belfast? Belfast?"

The voice of Enterprise had pulled her out of her thoughts. "Oh, forgive me. I must have spaced out there," she laughed to play it off.

"Perhaps you should be drinking this coffee instead of me," softly joked Enterprise.

A small blush rose in her cheeks at the idea that her lips could be touching the same cup as Enterprise. "My tea will more than suffice, Enterprise."

"Then how about some of my food? They keep filling up my plate."

"Very well. Let's dig in as the Eagle Union will say."

To say that Belfast was proud of Enterprise would be an understatement. She was beyond proud without measure. She first noticed Enterprise no longer carried those awful ration bars around with her. She also started showing up for meals on a regular basis. The reservedness of her feelings was still there, however, when someone like Belfast probed, she would talk about her feelings in a constructive way instead of having them fester.

During their meal, Belfast could sense that Enterprise would leave her gaze on her when she suspected she wasn't looking.

"Enterprise, darling, could I perhaps have something on my face?" She asked with a cheeky look.

"Huh? Forgive me for staring. I must be spacing out, too," she said with a small hint of red as she turned her head sideways to fake a cough.

"I see... perhaps some fresh air would do us good, " declared the maid.

They agreed to a walk near the beach area of Azur lane. "Umm, Belfast is it just me or does it feel like everyone is avoiding us?" She said with concern.

Belfast scanned the area to see most of the ship girls staying to themselves. Even Javelin, Laffey, and Ayanami walked the other way when they spotted the two heading their way.

"I didn't really notice. It's probably nothing, Enterprise." The only conclusion she could make was that they suspected that this was a private moment between them. She blushed and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she dared to think they could think intimate would be a better word.

They both reached the dock that gave them a long look at the ocean. "What's on your mind?" Asked Belfast.

"Just wondering when the next siren attack will come," said the white-haired Eagle Union with a stern look into the ocean.

"Indeed, that does deserve thought. Nevertheless, after their Orochi plan failed miserably, I'm sure they won't be devising anything sinister early on."

"What concerns me is my data. I still feel ashamed for allowing myself to be used as a means for their data collection. When their massive warship went down, I could feel that my data didn't play a part in it. Which leaves me to think about what they could be doing with it."

Belfast lowered her eyes in understanding. "That vision you told me in secret... about a version of you that embraced the fires of war and severed all emotions from herself to create her crimson lane... that will never come to pass, my dear."

Enterprise lowered her head to cover it with her captain's hat.

"Enterprise, are you alright? I hope I didn't upset you."

"I-It's nothing like that. I'm just confused, I guess. You say words like dear, and darling, and my face gets red. It's funny how we try to sound-"

"Human? Yes, I can see you're not quite ready to acknowledge that, Enterprise. However, your actions in recent weeks have appeared to be human as you so like to put it."

Enterprise blushed unable to refute it.

"Cheer up, my dear. That is your final hurdle until any possible future where you might become her is extinguished." She leaned in close where anyone walking would have turned the other way. "You just need to embrace it and proclaim that you are human at your core."

"I don't even know how a human should even act," said Enterprise in a trance and unaware of how close she was to Belfast.

Belfast could feel her cheeks reddening as they were so close, she could tap her forehead with Enterprise's hat. "You overthink it too much. Humans act based on whatever their heart tells them." They slowly inched closer to each other and then...

"Gray Ghost!"

They were pulled out from their unaware moment after hearing a shout that came from the sea.

Zuikaku along with her sister had quickly approached from the horizon.

"She sounds angry, " said Enterprise whose battle mindset made her forget the context of what the two of them had inched closer for.

Belfast remained shocked with herself that she was about to kiss Enterprise.

"Gray Ghost. I've come to settle the score with you once and for all." Shouted the long brown-haired Sakura Empire Aircraft Carrier. She looked and sounded out of breath during her declaration.

"Settle the score? Aren't we allies now when we saved Akagi and took out the sirens' plan?" Said Enterprise.

"She has a point, dear sister. There is no reason for this fight, " said her older sister, Shoukaku.

"You're missing the point. I- I acknowledge you as an ally and we are all fighting together against the sirens now but... it doesn't change the fact that I need to battle you."

"So, a mock battle in the sense for sports, and not bloodshed?" Asked Enterprise.

"Yes... I deserve a fair fight with you. No you being injured and none of that mind control stuff either. I want you at your fullest."

Enterprise felt the sting of the time where she was influenced by the sirens that made her rampage and seriously hurt an enemy instead of putting them out of commission. "I see... I hate fighting without meaning if it's not for protecting my friends, but if you want to do this for sport then I can offer you a friendly match."

"There is meaning in this for me, " challenged Zuikaku.

"Very well. Belfast, excuse me for a moment."

"None at all. She's a formidable training partner, so give her what she asked for."

Enterprise valued the words of encouragement from the maid. "T-thank you for our talk."

"Anytime, " warmly replied Belfast without hesitation.

"Zuikaku, if you're ready, I will show you what lies at the end of power."

"Then brace yourself, Gray Ghost, " smirked the brown-haired carrier.

"Let's settle this out in the open waters and away from the area." If she needed to settle this, it would be at a safe distance from the shore. Once she retrieved her rig, she signaled to Zuikaku to follow her.

"Fine with me," said Zuikaku with a boastful smirk.

Both Belfast and Enterprise accelerated toward the open water once they were fully ready.

Zuikaku was about to follow until her older sister grabbed her attention. "Um, sister. Maybe this could have been done at another time. I think they were in the middle of something. "

"What do you mean? From my point of view, they were giving each other a serious stare. If that maid wants to challenge Enterprise, then she needs to get in line."

Shoukaku sighed at her sister's cluelessness. "Oh, what a mess this is."

Out in the open water, Zuikaku was ready to do battle. "Okay, Gray Ghost. The first one to get the first scratch is the loser."

Belfast and Shoukaku retreated to a good distance, ready to jump in if they needed too.

Zuikaku calmed her racing heart as her true opportunity to face the Gray Ghost laid before her. She pulled out her katana and launched her flaming red mini planes with a quick movement of her hand.

Enterprise quickly pulled back her bow and shot down the incoming flaming planes.

"Where are you looking at?!" Roared Zuikaku.

Enterprise darted to her left as Zuikaku closed the distance. The speed of the Sakura Empire swordswoman was nothing to scoff at. Her katana came down at the same time Enterprise guarded against it with the side of her massive bow.

The force strained Enterprise's arms and propelled her back. With her free arm, she fired her long airstrip that housed her fighter planes to her left side.

Zuikaku quickly observed the Gray Ghost's tactics as the fighter planes did a sharp U-turn and headed toward her. "Damn it!" She disengaged from her assault and gained some distance while deflecting the bullets from the fighter planes.

"Now who's the one that's looking where?" Declared Enterprise. Her arrows were in her hand and ready to fly toward a distracted Zuikaku.

Zuikaku grunted. "How dare of you to assume where my gaze lies," she found a pause that allowed her to sheath her katana rapidly to load one of her flaming mini airplanes from her airstrip rig to her side. Her katana then emerged from her sheath with a burning aura. "Your planes will fall like flies to burning flames!" She slashed at the air that sent out slashes of flames toward the fleet of planes. They burned without a struggle giving her a clear path toward Enterprise.

Enterprise gritted her teeth as she let her arrows fly.

Zuikaku glided expertly across the water completely avoiding the arrows.

"Your speed is impressive." She aimed her airstrip rig and fired a focus shot of a combined fleet of planes.

Zuikaku didn't avoid them and faced them with her burning weapon. They shredded like paper upon her blade and moved in for the final strike. "You're strong Gray Ghost, but distance is your greatest strength."

Enterprise gave her a serious stare, then she smiled as she fired her arrow underneath her. The arrow caused an explosion of water that caught Zuikaku in it.

"C-cowered!" She slashed at the uplifted water causing it to turn to steam upon her burning blade. Her blood froze when she sensed Enterprise behind her.

Her gaze stared down the arrow that was mere inches away from her face.

Just before Enterprise fired, she moved her bow to the right of her. The arrow missed Zuikaku by a few inches and exploded the water behind the brown-haired girl.

Zuikaku felt a stinging cut on her cheek that was due to the shockwave of the arrow. Zuikaku's knees gave out causing her to plummet to the ocean. However, before that could happen, Enterprise had caught her by picking her up bridal style.

"Are you alright? I might have overdone it with that last one."

Zuikaku stood wide-eyed unable to form any coherent sentence. It wasn't fear that had petrified her heart. It was something else entirely. A foreign feeling that she never experienced yet came from her heart the longer she gazed at Enterprise.

"Sister, are you alright?" Said Shoukaku.

Belfast made no sounds. All she did was look at Zuikaku's face to understand the Sakura Empire woman's views on Enterprise had changed. Her heart tightened with a sting that she understood as jealousy.

"Y-yeah... g-good... that was a nice duel."

"Really? I'm glad you weren't too angry at the outcome. You kept me on my toes, and you should be proud of that feat. You only need to not let the rush of battle cloud you."

Zuikaku dreamily nodded at the Gray Ghost that had done more than just conquered this battle.

Sister don't be down, you did a great job. Um, Enterprise, you can put her down now," said Shoukaku.

"Sorry about that. I didn't want you to fall into the ocean," she said with a warm smile after she placed her back on her feet.

Zuikaku once again nodded weakly as these new emotions in her heart made her feel light.

**Feedback would be appreciated as this is something I want to work on. The story will start off as a love triangle but change later. The story will probably branch off from what the anime is doing, and some characters might be OOC. I'm going from mostly what I've seen in the anime along with game dialog as another reference. **


	2. Love Undefined

**Chapter 2: Love Undefined**

In the deep parts of the sea, Enterprise had just concluded her battle with Zuikaku. She didn't want to fight, yet she hoped that this battle had been enough to quench the brown-haired girl's advances.

Zuikaku remained silent with her face burning madly and the only sounds she could hear were her heart thumping.

"Hey, what's going on here?!" Shouted a blond-haired girl.

The four ship girls turned their heads to see Cleveland, with the trio composed of Ayanami, Javelin, and Laffey behind her.

"We saw fighting in the beach shore," said a worried Javelin.

"Oh, it was nothing serious at all," said Enterprise with a friendly tone extinguishing their worries.

"Shoukaku... Zuikaku... what are you two up to?" Asked Ayanami.

"Oh, us? We... we..." The pure embarrassment of being caught picking a fight was too much for her.

"Zuikaku felt that her rig was a little rusty and wanted a friendly mock battle to make sure it was up to speed," jumped in Enterprise with a friendly smile to Zuikaku.

Zuikaku swallowed the lump of words that had crashed in her throat and she was thankful for Enterprise. If she did speak for herself, she would have blown it out of proportion.

Cleveland nodded hesitantly as Enterprise moved past them with Belfast behind her.

"Maybe we should head home," said Shoukaku.

Belfast remained by Enterprise's side even after they reached the dock that they started off at. "That was certainly a good start to the day, don't you think?" Said Belfast trying to make a hint of small talk.

"Yeah, hopefully, she found what she was looking for and won't challenge me again for some time."

Belfast lowered her eyes at the meaning behind those words, especially after seeing how star-struck the Sakura Empire carrier was when she was picked up bridal style.

"Belfast, are you okay?" Enterprise noticed that the maid had been holding onto her maid apron rather tightly.

"Yes, I'm quite alright. I just remembered that there are some reports pending and I must attend to them."

"I... I understand. I must be getting started on my rounds anyway," Enterprise felt like she wanted to say something more, and the look of uncertainty on her face made Belfast sad.

"Until later, dear," smiled Belfast with a hopeful smile that guaranteed that it would be sooner.

They parted ways with Belfast holding herself back and allowing a back glance at the woman that had captured her heart.

**(Zuikaku)**

The rest of the day wasn't eventful and the trip back to the Sakura Empire was quiet for the crane sisters.

They reached the shore of their home. "It feels nice to be back, " said Shoukaku happily. She didn't get a response from her younger sister that made her puff her cheek out.

Zuikaku was in a world of her own that the only things that existed were Enterprise and her warped feelings that she couldn't understand. A head rested on her shoulder that did the trick in bringing her back to reality. "W-what's that for?"

Her older sister giggled. "You seem rather spacy. Was the loss too much, sister?"

"I... I... I can deal with a loss just fine. I just need to get stronger and improve." Declared Zuikaku in a fail attempt to find a reason for that loss to be her main worry.

"I see. Gray Ghost is a woman without match. Please don't feel that this one fight was the definitive one. A massive rock takes more than one punch to shatter."

The two sisters were not in the same line of thoughts, yet Zuikaku would never allow herself to lash out at her. In the end, she did feel an uplifting warmth in her heart. "Thanks, Shou," said Zuikaku.

The older sister nodded with a giggle. "It's been a long time since we used our nicknames to each other, Zui."

The younger sister held her stern face and turned around to conceal her red-faced embarrassment.

"Oh, Zuikaku. I wouldn't be a good older sister If I didn't jab at you from time to time. Now... was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Said the sisterly concern of the white-haired sister.

"No, none at all. I might head to the training room for a bit. I'll see you later for dinner." They parted ways leaving the matter unresolved.

Over at the training area. It was a square courtyard style area with cobblestones lining the ground. There were wooden walkways fitting of the Sakura Empire theme, with sliding door panels.

Zuikaku stood in the center of the cobblestone area with her katana being used to lean her body. She appeared to be lost in thought as she gazed at the floating cherry blossom petals that came from the giant beautiful tree to her right.

A petal floated downward that brought her vision back to the three training dummies that stood before her. She clicked her tongue in an effort to dispel her idle mindset and took up her sword. Her eyes narrowed with the focus to make sure that her one clean cut was done perfectly. Just as she was about to move, her mind played one last trick in which she replaced the middle training dummy with Enterprise.

Her focus snapped and her lip quivered as she could not find it in her heart to strike. "What's wrong with me? So she picked me up to avoid myself from hitting the water... is that enough to sway my heart? No, her power plays a part in this. That strong, unmovable strength that I acknowledge and respect plays a part in this. I... I... I want to be the force that moves her..." Her cheeks turned bright red as she lost the meaning of her words. She couldn't tell if she meant it as a challenger or as a lover- maybe it was a bit of both.

The sliding door opened up that made Zuikaku stand up straight and look to see who else had entered.

"Zuikaku? I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone was here today."

Zuikaku stood even straighter, if that was possible, at attention to her elder. "Takao! How are you doing today?" She said with a nervous smile.

Takao gestured her to relax for there wasn't any need for her formalness. "I came by for some training and clarity. I can see that we are of one mind in that department," said Takao with a warm smile.

"T-training, always... but clarity, I'm still trying to find that. Actually, I don't know how you can even do that while training."

Takao motioned her to move aside to face the training dummies. "Well... it's like reaching a state of clear mind where you let your instincts take over in all battle situations. If you overthink things or even rush in without relying on your instincts, then you could miss your chance." In that simultaneous instance, she effortlessly pulled out her own katana and quickly sheathed it back.

Zuikaku comically stood there with her jaw open as two of the three training dummies were cut in two.

They fell with a thud as If Takao's look alone did it.

Takao gave her a friendly smile. "Of course, that's my philosophy of a clear mind, and as you can see... I haven't perfected it yet. Daily refinement is pivotal to self-growth. Dripping water can wear down the strongest of stones," she said with great pride.

"Shoukaku said something similar to that…" Zuikaku felt more lost than ever, and she decided to take the first step. "Takao, this must sound silly, but... do you think that strength alone can be a reason to like someone?"

"Hmm... like? I might be biased but I firmly believe there is reason to admire great strength, especially if you yourself are striving for that."

Zuikaku bit the side of her cheek. "Let me rephrase that. Do you think strength alone can be a reason to be attracted to someone else?"

Takao blinked a few times until it finally registered. "Oh... uhh... I see. Well... like beauty, physical strength is something that can be observed at glance. It can be a reason to like someone in that way, however, it's bad to take that as face value. Take an apple, for instance, it's beauty can be bold, vibrant, and inviting, but inside can be filled with worms and rottenness."

"I don't think she's rotten from the inside. I..." It dawned on her that she didn't even know much about Enterprise. Aside from her being the strongest of the Eagle Union, she didn't know who laid behind the exterior of the Gray Ghost.

"I'm surprised that you have an affection for someone else. Could it be possibly me; your elder?" Smirked Takao softly.

Zuikaku staggered backward at such a declaration. "If it was you I wouldn't have told you!" She could see Takao fail to hold back her laugh at the brown-haired woman.

"It was a bad joke to break the ice. I will not further joke on the matter since you are looking for an answer."

"I am. I don't want to burden my sister about this matter, and I wouldn't find a good answer from her even if she meant well. It would be like you asking Atago on this same matter."

Takao froze for a second as she envisioned her being in Zuikaku's shoes with her having a secret crush. "No... no, no, no. You're right, if I had a secret crush then my sister would be the last person I'd ask. And you shouldn't tell her either. She will hug you excessively and get too touchy until you spill the name of your crush," she said frantically.

"You have a point there," said Zuikaku.

"My answer is to go for it. People fall in love with looks taking center stage. After that, I would suggest you spend time with her to get a read on her personality. If you like what you see, then confront her with your feelings undiminished. Falling for strength isn't inherently bad- I can actually see myself doing the same thing as well."

"What if she doesn't respond to them?" Ask Zuikaku with downcast eyes.

"Then there's nothing to be done. You can fight for her love, but it might make you end up pushing her away. If it comes to that conclusion, then follow what your heart tells you at that moment."

"You've given me a lot to think about," said Zuikaku with a bow.

"Don't mention it. As your elder, life guidance is one of my responsibilities. But then again, Love guidance is out of my scope of operations after all." She landed her hand on the brown-haired girl's back with a smack as a show of friendship.

Zuikaku staggered forward as she rubbed the part of her that got hit. She would be lying if she said that she wouldn't be feeling that impact tonight.

**(Belfast)**

The day had concluded and everyone had retreated to their rooms. In one room, Belfast laid with her eyes gazing at the dark ceiling above. She tossed and turned as she tried to find some peace to succumb to sleep. Her eyes narrowed in frustration that caused her to lift herself up. "This is unbecoming of me." Her eyes filled with gloom as she recounted her parting with Enterprise that was a result of her trying to make sense of why she was so upset.

Her mind brought her to Zuikaku, who she didn't know what could be going through the Sakura Empire woman's head. The dazed-struck look that she had given to Enterprise made her stomach turn and her hands became restless. "What was with that look of hers? She goes and challenges Enterprise to a duel, and then she becomes love-struck when she loses?" Analyzing that that was the source of her displeasure, she gave herself a hard look when her gaze landed on her mirror that was stationed near a desk across her room. She looked at her reflection that reflected a face that she didn't like. This cruel reflection was her with the sourest, and horrible look of jealousy that was truly unbecoming of a maid like her. Her heart ached with pain that pulled her away from the reflection. "This truly bothers me, but why? Are my feelings for Enterprise more than a friend?" Alone with her thoughts, she realized how stupid and useless that question was. The long gazes, the heart pumping surge of blushes she would get by being with Enterprise, and the unsung moment that they could have had at the docks came rushing back to her.

"Enterprise…" The latest blush within her settled as she regained her breath at the Eagle Union Aircraft Carrier that had conquered her heart. She looked at her reflection again and could only see her regular face reflecting back.

That night bore the fruit of clarity in her mind that she wasn't going to deny. She loved Enterprise. The next question was… if she was going to do anything about it.

**(Zuikaku)**

Inside the room of the Crane sisters, Shoukaku slept soundly on her bed. Across from her, was the bed of her younger sister that laid vacant. A window in the room shined the ghostly glow of the pale moon like a ray of light. The ray of light bathed a brown-haired girl that had her knees to her chest as she fondly looked at the moon. "Gray Ghost… no… even that doesn't sound right anymore." She paused slightly to ponder the new realizations forming in her mind. "… Enterprise. You are someone that I no longer only just want to conquer. Starting now, I want to be…" she knew what she wanted to be, sadly, she was never good with romantic one-liners. She softly chuckled as she didn't feel any internal strife in her heart. She vowed that tomorrow she would see that white-haired carrier.

**(Enterprise)**

The moon was indeed beautiful, beautiful enough for a semi-passive emotionless being that was the Eagle Union's strongest Carrier to admire. A harsh term indeed for her, however, in order to become the bearer of all the world's pain, she had to shut off her emotions and become the flagship of limitless strength to inspire her allies. To gain this strength, she had to deprive herself of any human-like pass times and focus on the battles and future battles to come. The only thing, she was allowed for herself was the pain and memories of the fallen that she needed to remember.

Of course, this was no longer the case as she recently realized that this path was one that she could no longer stomach to walk on. She wouldn't deviate from the core reason but the way she was going about it had to change. She gained power for the sake of power and accepted that she was a tool for war.

However, there was a part of her that never truly accepted that; it was her heart that never accepted that. She gained power to protect her friends not because she was a tool for war that needed to. She hated war and fought to make sure her friends and no others would have to suffer.

Her eagle landed near her on a bench during this quiet outside night. "So you also like how the moon looks tonight?" She said with a small smile. The eagle said nothing and merely gazed majestically at the sky.

She chuckled and looked down at what she was carrying. It was a sack of the generic provisions that she housed in her room. "Those bars were one thing, but these were on a whole other scale," she said to her eagle companion.

"I want to change. I want to be more than just a tool for war. All the others have found their reasons- their human reason- to fight and keep fighting. I want to protect those I hold dear, that is where my strength comes from." Her mind showed her sister, Hornet, her friends in the Eagle Union and Royal Navy, then it went to Belfast… the one that helped her make sense of her internal struggles in her heart. She even lingered to Zuikaku and the Sakura Empire who had become allies with her. Knowing that the Sirens were the only threat made her hopeful that her war would one day end.

"I won't be needing these provisions anymore. After getting used to regular food- I just can't go back to these. Even if they were convenient and quick to eat." She opened a trash can and discarded the tasteless items that were a representation of her past. She took a relaxed intake of air as she let the gravity of her action wash over her. The path she now walked on had more meaning and color that enchanted her to the things to come. She no longer wanted to fall back on easy answers like fighting because that was what she was made to do. No, she wanted to find her own human answers. Just like she was admiring the moon, she wanted to enjoy what beauty laid outside of battle and ultimately a new reason for her life.

**I'm going to be juggling this story along with my Neptunia story as they will both be my main focus. As of now, the other stories that I planned are in the backburner as I don't feel that I'm satisfied with the way they are turning out. I aim to probably have a small story related to the fate series sometime next month. **


	3. Love on the Rocks

**Hi, everyone! I wanted to thank you all for the support on this story. I've been enjoying my time writing this and it means a lot that you all like it too.**

**Chapter 3: Love on the Rocks**

The sun shined brightly for another day, paired beautifully with the calm ocean waves. Shoukaku yawned loudly in protest to her current mood. "Ugh, why did you want to come back here not a full day after you challenged Enterprise?" Said Shoukaku with a noticeable pout to her cheeks.

Zuikaku paused not knowing how to spin into words that which she secretly desired. "Sis, I know that this is hard to explain, but I must see her again…" Her cheeks turned red when she turned around to spot her older sister giving her a question mark look. "- I mean, if I'm ever to get to her current level, then I must see how she operates during fieldwork. I realized how much of a fool I am for only understanding her legend and never seeing how she achieves her fame."

Shoukaku understood her words better. "Ah, I see. So, you want to tag along with her and be her little sister, is that right?" She said with narrowed eyes.

Zuikaku forcibly stopped her movement to frantically look at her sister. "Oh, come on that's not what I meant! I want to join her on her fieldwork and see how she operates- that's all! I most certainly don't plan on trying to be her sister!"

The older Crane sister reveled in her little sister's words. "That's good to hear. Because just the thought of losing my sisterly status to the Gray Ghost would completely break my heart," she said with a show of comical hurt.

Zuikaku sighed. "I hope you coming along wasn't because you felt threatened by her," she said.

"Not really… but, if you do want to perform at your best, we are a pair that always stick together," she giggled with a sisterly tone to it.

Zuikaku would never say this out loud, but she wished that one day she could develop a power that could help her fight at her fullest without the need of assistance. This was not to say that she didn't want to be paired with her sister, however, she desired a day where fighting alone at her fullest could be an option.

A short time later, they made it to the docking area of Azur Lane. Ever since all the four major factions declared that they would be a better line of communication, and assistance, numerous groups of Iron Blood and Sakura Empire had made their presence known in Azur Lane.

There were a few Sakura Empire locals that filled Azur Lane that made Zuikaku and Shoukaku stand out less, and rumors floated around- mostly from Prinz Eugene- that Z23 had found herself in the group of Laffy, Ayanami, and Javalin. Of course, knowing Z23, she would never confess it outright, so it was a secret by the group if that fact did hold weight.

They walked past the beach and deeper into the island where giant trees and a park stood. "Hmm, these trees might not be cherry blossoms, yet they do have their own beauty," said Shoukaku.

Zuikaku didn't pay much mind to the area as she was actively looking for Enterprise. She had to calm herself down a bit when she started to realize that her actions could be identified as stocking.

"Well, this is a surprise," said a voice from behind them.

Both of the Crane sisters turned around quickly to come face to face with Hornet, Enterprise's little sister.

She gave them a wide friendly grin. "We've been getting a lot of Sakura Ships dropping by but you two haven't been on land much. Come to think of it, you both were doing some training battle with my sister the other day."

"Yes, that was us. We've have met in the past under more serious situations…"

Hornet held out her hand to block where that conversation was going. "Nah, let's forget about the past. No harm really done to anyone and that's battle in the end. Yesterday's enemies could be today's allies and all that," she said with her carefree smile.

Zuikaku felt happy and light at how forgiving she was. "Thank you, we should introduce ourselves officially as allies. This is my older sister, Shoukaku, and I'm Zuikaku," said the brown-haired Sakura Empire Carrier with a friendly smile. Shoukaku's greeting was a little more passive with her merely giving the blond aircraft carrier a quick wave from behind her younger sister.

"So… Shou and Zui, nice to officially meet you two, I'm Hornet, and if you'd like, Miss Hornet is fine too" she said with her hand extended.

Shoukaku stared daggers at Hornet for using the nicknames that were only reserved and meant to be used by them.

Zuikaku could feel the burning intensity from behind her, and she playfully- but nervously- laughed as she accepted the handshake.

"What brings you two here today anyway?" Asked Hornet.

"I'm actually looking for your sister," said Zuikaku with a faint red blush that went undetected.

"Whoa, really? What for?" Questioned Hornet.

"Well… I want to learn from her on how to be a stronger fighter. Your sister is remarkable, and the title of Gray Ghost doesn't give her enough justice to her legend…" She found her words carried more momentum, like a boulder rolling down a hill. "… s-she should be called Majestic Ghost if you asked me." Once those words had passed her lips, she sucked air back in a futile attempt to undo the words she brought into reality.

Both Shoukaku and Hornet looked at her with wide eyes at the powerful comment. Shoukaku remained silent with her thoughts painting her mind with sisterly jealousy.

"It's rather refreshing that my sister has a big fan like you, however, if you're are looking for her to teach you, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Sis may be a champion, but she doesn't take pride in her combat abilities. Nor does she take in students." Hornet could see the noticeable hurt in Zuikaku's eyes that made her feel bad that she had to crush this girl's dreams. "Hey, cheer up, listen, my advice for you is to put your name on a supply run that she's going to be doing today. It's a small run, so only Enterprise and Belfast are currently the ones on it. I'm sure she won't object to extra help. And if you want, you can ask her personally, but due be ready to get shot down… pun intended," she said with a giggling smirk at her unintentional joke.

The brown-haired girl's face lit up from the info. "You have my thanks, Hornet. Don't worry, I can handle rejection and all I want is to talk to her." If she had to be honest with herself, the excuse of telling her sister that she wanted to learn from Enterprise was a false one. There was a part of her that wouldn't mind having sessions with Enterprise about combat, but that wasn't her true goal. She wanted to get close to Enterprise to be able to understand her better and see if her feelings would still carry over after she did.

All three of them were able to get along rather well. None of the three were aware that a certain maid had been hidden behind a tree some good distance from them, as she watched the situation unfold before her eyes.

The look in the eyes of the maid was filled with an unhealthy amalgamation of uncertainty and contempt. If it was up to her, she wouldn't need Zuikaku to tag along for a small job that they were going to undertake. The part that she was uncertain about was if this fact had been based on her logic or jealousy. She quickly walked to the cafeteria for her morning meal and the chance to find Enterprise in there.

Time wasn't shy in advancing unknowingly to the fateful encounter that Belfast hadn't been keen on. The sky was blue and cloudless, and the water beneath her didn't pose a problem in the sense of harsh waves. She reluctantly turned her head around to see Enterprise gliding behind her in all her power. Then she looked to Enterprise's left and right to see Zuikaku and Shoukaku.

Enterprise noticed Belfast look back and gave her a friendly acknowledgment that caused Belfast to look away.

The Eagle Union Carrier's face dimmed a bit from the response. Before she could do any further reaction, Zuikaku glided rather close to her.

"Enterprise, thanks for allowing us to tag along," she said brightly.

"It's not a problem. Of course, it does feel like we're too fortified for this supply run," she said as she scratched her cheek.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Shoukaku and I didn't have any missions today and might as well have too much firepower then too little," laughed Zuikaku.

"Enterprise would have been more than enough for this," cursed Belfast under her breath to help with her annoyance.

"That may be the case. You'll probably won't get any combat action with this one if that's okay with you," said Enterprise to Zuikaku.

"Don't worry, Enty. I'd rather take a slow and boring supply run than being on standby with nothing to do." The brown-haired Sakura Empire felt like countless spotlights were hitting her face after she said that. The looks that her sister, Belfast, and Enterprise gave her were enough to heat her up with embarrassment.

"Enty…?" Responded Enterprise along with Shoukaku.

"Enty, indeed. Just yesterday you strictly called her Gray Ghost. What's the sudden change from that, to Enterprise, and now Enty?" Said Belfast who called her out.

Zuikaku's heart weighed heavily and no number of lies would help her out of this. Alternatively, she decided on speaking with half-honesty. "It's not a crime to give a nickname to anyone. Enterprise, I… truly respect you as a fighter from our battle yesterday. Forgive me if it was rude to call you by a nickname. I really only do that to people I respect."

"Very well. I have no problems with nicknames. It's rather new and refreshing to be called like that. Yes, it does feel very human," she said with a smile.

Zuikaku blushed that her feelings were accepted by Enterprise. On the other spectrum, Belfast felt an unhealthy amount of seething flooding into her that could have been seen as a hot aura. To her, while she should have been ecstatic to hear Enterprise speak very positive about human-like topics, the fact that it was used to help get Zuikaku a leg up on having the permission to use a nickname on her was too much.

"Huh? We should hurry up before the supply ship leaves us in its wake. Time to speed up, Shou, Zui, and Bel," laughed Enterprise as she picked up speed.

All three in their own way were left dumbfounded. Belfast blushed as this was the first time Enterprise had ever called her by a nickname.

Zuikaku had the brightest grin that could have been used as a lighthouse light and Shoukaku felt defensive by someone other than her sister calling her by that nickname.

Belfast immediately picked up speed giving the Crane sisters a moment to speak. "Zui, you never use nicknames for people you respect," said Shoukaku sternly.

"What? O-of course I do. Y-you probably never noticed," she said nervously as she picked up speed as well.

Shoukaku puffed her cheeks out in frustration and begrudgingly picked up her speed.

Enterprise felt an ominous sense in the air that forced her to scan the area around them. Her intuition was right when she noticed a small group of black ships in the far distance. "Everyone! We got Sirens heading for us!"

All the others became serious at the sight of the enemy encroaching on them.

"Pfft, they're lesser siren interceptors. I doubt they have the firepower to take us all on!" Zuikaku blasted past Enterprise to show her the power she held. "I'll make quick work of them!" she boasted happily.

Belfast felt a surge of envy knowing that Zuikaku definitely had the firepower to take them all on. She unknowingly bit her lip and blasted away from Enterprise.

"Ha, this group doesn't even deserve to be destroyed by my blade." She readied her planes and unleashed the full force of her fleet from her airstrip rig as they grew in size after taking off. Also, upon takeoff, they ignited with fire that could have been described one way as a fleet of burning phoenixes. Some dived headfirst and others dropped bombs with their combined attacks resembling a violent meteor shower.

Belfast; who couldn't stand and do nothing, proceeded to use the full stock of her burning shells at her disposal.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Asked Zuikaku irritation clearly shown on her face.

Belfast coyly smiled that had a mixture of a smirk. "It would be unbecoming of the head maid of the Royal Navy to not take the frontline. My dear enemies… this may be very painful," she allowed herself a full smirk as a barrage of flaming shells curved downward and exploded everything that came into contact.

Zuikaku stood shocked for a slight second as she witnessed the light cruiser's all-out assault that could rival a barrage hit from a heavy carrier like her or Enterprise. To not be outdone by a light cruiser, she increased her assault on the small siren interceptors.

Enterprise and Shoukaku were horrified at the sight they were seeing that put into words, would be like a violent meteor shower and a hailstorm taking place at the same time. The hailstorm-like appearance being Belfast's burning shells that while smaller in size then Zuikaku's planes, had more quantity.

Enterprise heard a yell from Shoukaku as a burning shell missed her by a few meters. Enterprise then saw a burning payload from one of Zuikaku's planes hit the water close to her and the supply ship that they were assigned to protect. "Stop this! Your assaults are straying from the targets!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.

The roaring sounds of explosions and desperate gunfire from the weakening siren interceptors drowned out her voice. She drew out her bow and quickly shot down a couple of payload bombs and burning shells that threatened the integrity of the supply ship. "That is an order! Halt!" She roared but still boar no change to the two.

Shoukaku readied herself for more bombs heading her way, however, Enterprise had reached her limit. "Enough!" She summoned a handful of arrows and launched them all at once at the incoming danger. Her arrows fired powerfully from her bowstring and split into smaller arrows upon the air.

Belfast and Zuikaku stopped their rampaging when they witnessed the sky ignite with fire and the debris of their bombs and fragments of planes fell on them. Fortunately for them, the firepower of Enterprise had reduced the metal into small pieces, so that the fallout wouldn't be too disastrous. They did get stained with oil and soot that were a cause of their planes and burning shells being dismantled.

Both of them hesitantly looked at Enterprise who wore a disgusted face that neither of them had ever seen.

"What has gotten to the both of you?! Unleashing full force on a small siren interceptor group, really? You put our supply ship and your allies in danger on a literal carpet bomb attack that wasn't even warranted. If you go around flexing uncontrolled power like that, then you're no better than the enemy we face."

Enterprise's words cut deep into the two love rivals who could do nothing but look down in shame.

Enterprise took a deep breath and turned her back on them. "Since I'm the acting leader of this supply mission, I order you both to return home and get cleaned up."

"But- but…" They both desperately tried to force words out, but their disgrace weighed them down.

"Save your breath. Shoukaku, you can help me finish this mission or you may be released," she said calmly.

"Hmm, if it's okay with you, I'll finish the mission. My little sister needs to think about what she did," she said in a seldom, real-like disappointed tone.

Zuikaku trembled as she never experienced her older sister with a solemn tone paired with her disappointed face. The closest she ever saw her sister being at this level was when she accidentally broke her flute a few years back during some training.

For Belfast, while there wasn't anything specific that was meant for her, she could feel the link of trust she had formed with Enterprise start to bend. In the end, her actions made her see that she wasn't more concerned about her love status rather, she was more concerned about her friendship status. She feared that if she broke this friend bond, then Enterprise would deviate away from what she truly wanted her to be… human.

"Then let us set sail," she said as she signaled to the supply ship to return to its designated path.

Shortly after that, when the older Crane sister and Enterprise were merely a black speck, both Zuikaku and Belfast exchanged a furrowed look at the other.

The tension in the air felt heavy and the burning destroyed remnant ships didn't help as an occasional explosion would go off.

Zuikaku released her breath as a sigh and moved passed Belfast to head to Azur lane to wait for her sister.

Belfast watched her go with half focus eyes. She wanted to scream and let her intense anger in her heart be heard at the fact that this was all because of the Sakura Empire carrier.

It was Zuikaku's fault for seeding this jealousy in her and it was her fault that she partook in this assault. She now wished that she let Zuikaku do it alone, so Enterprise would have been only mad at her.

It was her fault... her fault... and yet, while she gazed at her reflection that had a piece of metal stuck to her hair and black soot on her face in the oily water, she could see the hideous face looking back from the other night. "Is this really me?" She said to no one but the darkest parts of her.

**(Enterprise)**

The supply mission was a success and the providers of the mission were greatly excited. They were owners of a new food place that operated in the Sakura Empire but due to personal reasons, they liked their supplies dropped in a small landmass outside of Sakura Empire territory where from there, a fellow shipgirl friend would help them make the rest of the trip.

Long story short, Enterprise was carrying a box of pastries gifted to her by the mission providers when they returned to Azur lane.

"Hmm, smelling those delicious pastries all the way back here fills me with hunger," said Shoukaku sweetly in the hopes that Enterprise might take the hint.

"You're free to take some, " said Enterprise.

"Really? You are too kind Miss Gray Ghost." She reached into the box and pulled a pink frosted pastry from it.

"Well, that's a new name," responded Enterprise amusingly.

Shoukaku longly gazed at the pastry with her eyes filled with happiness. "My sister is the one who highly respects you. I, on the other hand, just acknowledge you as an ally." She bit the pastry with delight.

Enterprise saddened when she remembered the harsh talk, she gave them when she parted ways with them. "Please, take some for your sister."

"Oh, is that really okay?" said the Sakura Empire with crumbs near her mouth.

"Yes, even though she and Belfast acted out of line, they still had good intentions. And... I would feel bad to keep these all to myself."

"Miss Gray Ghost, your heart isn't truly transparent as your name would imply," she said with a giggle.

"I'm just trying to make things right." She said sheepishly.

"Hmm, I will take some for Zui, however, this shouldn't be to make amends. She acted dangerously and I'm going to make sure her ear is pulled before the day is done. Before that happens, I would like that you could also talk to her."

"Me?"

"Yes, I'm not sure why Zui is acting out of place, and I can only imagine the most terrible of things," she paused thinking that all these attempts to impress and be around Enterprise were her little sister wanting to be the sister of the strongest Eagle Union. That thought put her on edge, but knowing Enterprise, she wasn't looking for that.

"She's acting out of place? Could that explain the sudden interest in me? Maybe I shouldn't have fought her."

"Oh, Zui can be very persistent. You would have still fought her regardless or suffered having her camped outside your room. I believe that she wishes to study under you perhaps," she said as she held back her personal issues.

"Study? I'm not much of a teacher." Responded Enterprise.

"It's only food for thought, Miss Gray Ghost. We're supposed to be back home before nightfall, if you see her, please give her a second of your time."

"What about you?"

"I think I'll go find Akashi and Ayanami for a bit," she said happily.

Enterprise stood there with the remaining pastries in her hands. She felt at a loss and started to regret how things ended with her and the other two.

She made her way out of the dock area where they had docked to find herself face to face with Zuikaku. "Huh...?" Enterprise could see the shyness that poured out of Zuikaku as she couldn't even look at the Eagle Union carrier in the face.

"Zuikaku... were you able to get cleaned up?" She said mostly in an attempt to make small talk. She found it hard to approach what happened and a part of her still felt fired up regardless of her guilt.

Zuikaku then did something completely unknown to Enterprise. She went up to her and got down on her knees and lowered her head until it was mere inches from the floor.

"What are you doing?" Declared Enterprise.

Zuikaku looked up at her with a face that could only be described as a wounded puppy, and it did succeed in making the white-haired carrier be sympathetic.

"As a Sakura Empire ship and Fifth Carrier division member, I, Zuikaku, am deeply ashamed of the actions that I took under your command. This is how I must beg for your forgiveness," she said with deep sorrow.

"Z-Zuikaku, I accept your method of apology but please get up. The ground here at the docks is rather messy."

Zuikaku nodded and smoothed her red dress out when she picked herself up. "Thank you, Enterprise."

Enterprise was at a loss as she scratched her head. With the brown-haired girl forgiven, the Eagle Union ended up finding herself being offered dinner with her.

**(Zuikaku)**

This is a date. This is a date. This is a date. The one-sentence on a maddening loop played inside her mind. Her face was bathed in crimson and she had the urge to bite her fingernails.

They were now sitting in a ramen shop waiting for their food to be ready.

The box of pastries was given to some of the younger ship girls like Bogue and her baseball friends and Mutsuki along with a few others who had been visiting from the Sakura Empire.

Zuikaku found it endearing by Enterprise's kind act. She grew to understand that the Eagle Union Carrier had a kind heart and an honest smile.

"I'm not much of a pastry eater but I do like a donut once in a while," said Enterprise with her small talk that made Zuikaku giggle on impulse. She found herself relaxing and her hands stopped fidgeting.

"Oh, really? I never tried one before and I wouldn't say no to one if given the chance. For me, Dangos would be one of my favorites."

"Ah, Dango. I haven't had one of those but do know of them."

"Perhaps we can make it a plan to purchase some and enjoy the company with each other," said Zuikaku with a red blush on her cheeks while she playfully connected her fingertips.

"I don't mind. I'll be sure to send you a message on my next available time."

"I'll like that very much!" She said with a sharp intake of breath due to her excitement. She was practically counting the days when it would happen.

They received their noodles and they both did a quick silence before starting.

Enterprise noticed in the corner of her eye how the Sakura Empire carrier energetically ate her noodles. She took a taste test and immediately found herself enjoying the dish.

"Wow, it's not the Empire's style of ramen, yet it's so good," cried Zuikaku with comically happy tears in her eyes.

"This is actually the first time I'm eating ramen," said Enterprise.

"What, really? What food do you normally like?"

"Umm... well, these days I've been trying out new dishes that the cafeteria in the academy has. In truth, I didn't really care for food in the past and it was all purely for sustenance."

Zuikaku didn't feel like her place to comment on this new fact. "Not to worry. I can be your food guide if you'll like. Have you thought about coming to the Sakura Empire? I can show you foods that will knock your hat off."

Enterprise unknowingly blushed while she subconsciously fixed her hat to avoid it from falling off. "That would be an experience, minus the hat knocking part. I have been meaning to visit Akagi. How is she though?"

Zuikaku felt a little jealous at the change in topic. "She's been... quiet. She was being watched after the truth that she was working with the Sirens got out. To just put it out there, I never liked using Siren technology. Sure, it was easy to manipulate but it felt like we were playing with fire."

"Fire... now I thought that would be up your alley," laughed Enterprise softly as she couldn't hold back the joke in itself.

"So, you joke, ha!" She was more embarrassed than angry and she grew happy at the moment they had. "Like I was saying, Siren technology has been put on a more intense observation and Nagato is even thinking outright dismantling all the mass-produced ships."

"I... haven't realized this," said Enterprise who felt happy and proud that the Sakura Empire's views were changing.

"Hmm. It's not posing any difficulties. Not even Akagi is stirring up problems about the outright dismantling of them. She's changed ever since the Orochi warship was taken out and was rescued by you."

"She's seen the true face of the sirens. She realized that they were using her in the end," stated Enterprise who looked at her reflection in the hot liquid of the ramen. Akagi was a victim of the sirens much as she was one too.

"Yeah, you might have a point. Iron Blood is still relying on them but there are talks that the dangers now outweigh the benefits. Huh, what's with the smile?"

The deep expression Enterprise had while she looked at her ramen didn't last long shortly after she heard the news on the Iron Blood. "It's nothing. I just... I always thought that all of us would never see eye to eye. That we would end up thinning our numbers until the sirens would take us out at our weakest. At one point, I came to the realization that my war would never finish until all enemies were defeated, including you all. It was like a never-ending perpetual cycle of warfare. Like a well-oiled machine, it would continue due to my efforts of trying to stop it until I would be the one to end. I can breathe easier knowing that the true enemy what matters now and that friends like you have my back."

Zuikaku jumped out of her chair with tears in her eyes at the peek behind the curtain that was the Gray Ghost. "I am honored, Enterprise. You will never fight alone as long as you got me," she said boastfully. She longed to hug her and tell her sweet things but that would be going too fast.

"I should be the one honored by your words."

They exchanged small talk for a few more minutes, then, the topic changed. "Enterprise... you probably forgot but I'm sorry."

"About what happened today?" Said the Eagle Union with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that but another thing I said yesterday. I brought up the mind control thing when I challenged you and I feel bad that I reminded you of that. The reports said that you were not acting on your own will, and I used it to stir your heart into fighting me. I apologize for my shameful tactics."

"Very well. I accept your apology. The influence that the sirens did only worked on me because I allowed myself to sink into despair over my own conclusions of war. I use it more as a reminder that I don't want to be like that. The life of a machine that I thought I had no way out of was only a means to numb myself from the world. I hate how foolish I was and am thankful for the people around me," she unknowingly smiled at an image of Belfast that had entered her mind.

"That's so awesome that you can think positively like that."

"Since we're apologizing, I also want to apologize too about what happened today," said Enterprise.

"No, I really deserved to be scolded by you about what I did. I put you and my sister in danger and the mission would have failed if you hadn't stepped in."

"That may be true. Still... I had no right to compare you and Belfast to the sirens." She seriously gazed at Zuikaku that made the Sakura Empire Carrier feel like she was in the presence of Takao. "You are indeed strong, but you are also very hot-headed."

"What!" Blurted Zuikaku frantically after swallowing some hot liquid broth.

"You used excessive force than it was required to take out those interceptors. You can't do that especially when you are with allies and undertaking a mission. Even someone like me can fail a mission if I don't bring common sense into battle and have a clear mind. Without those, I'm just a machine with a gun."

"I... I get what you mean. I wouldn't open a can with a missile and all that. Tact was required and I threw that to the wind."

"Yes. You did. I was angry and disappointed, yet I know that it can't be solved if it's not talked about."

"I won't allow myself to fall to that crude way of fighting ever again."

Enterprise smiled. "Good, and I plan to hold you to that since I want you to join me in sorties."

"Huh? Come again?!"

"I know it's sudden, but I see the potential you have. You've been persistent on following me because you want to learn from me, right?"

"Well... darn, I do." She strongly believed that at the worst, this was a soft lie and that it did make sense with the way she was acting.

"I didn't take students because I preferred to work alone. The consequences that they could get hurt would have been too much for me..."

"Are you saying that you wouldn't mind if I got hurt then?" Said Zuikaku with a sunken face.

"What? No, I'm saying that you're durable, strong, and very persistent. I wouldn't have to worry about looking after someone who can keep me on my toes."

"Then yes, rely on me as much as you can, Enty!"

**(Enterprise)**

With their meal completed, Zuikaku politely departed from Enterprise to catch up with her sister. It had grown dark outside that Enterprise decided on heading back to her room. A warm feeling had filled her heart that she was able to correct a heated mistake on her part. She looked over on the opposite side of the road from the noodle stand to see Belfast standing politely in the dark with her eyes deep in thought.

They made eye contact which made Belfast pretend to look at the sea over her shoulder.

Enterprise walked over to the maid with a hint of urgency in her step. "Belfast... it's good to see you," said Enterprise with relieved fondness that she was able to see her again the same day.

"It's good to see you as well, Enterprise. Dear my, you caught me staring on your dinner plans," she said embarrassed and hateful at herself for allowing her eyes to spy on them.

"Huh? You were staring? You should have come over, Belfast."

Enterprise was smart, yet Belfast could tell the Eagle Union was oblivious to romantic vibes in the air. The dinner that she had with Zuikaku might as well been a date. She had seen how Zuikaku's face had lightened up with every word they exchanged. "I don't think I have earned that right. After my actions today."

Enterprise's eyes softened with regret. "Bel, I'm sorry about what I said to you. You don't deserve to be compared to a siren and it just confuses me why you would act that way. You've told me that a woman should act with grace and elegance with everything they do. That it's unbecoming of her to falter in her actions."

Belfast smiled sadly. "I did say that. My word, this feels very reversed when not too long ago I was the one scolding you for your crude actions with your health."

"You're... a true friend, Bel. One that I couldn't live without. Talk to me. Why did you act that way?"

Belfast could feel the unbeatable waves of concern and passion with each word that the Eagle Union spoke. They weren't words from a lover but a friend that could compete with that status. "Well, it was a matter of the heart. A stupid matter that I now realize doesn't mean anything of value. I am indeed your friend, Enterprise, and you are my very good friend, too."

"Why do you sound defeated?" Cluelessly joked Enterprise with relief and fondness to hear those words from the maid.

"Oh, I'm just tired. Thank you for bringing things into perspective."

"Y-you haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll treat you to something, "

Belfast felt Enterprise's hand interlocked firmly with hers. She more than anything wanted to cry alone, however, the warm smile on Enterprise's face would have made it a crime to decline... even if that face was secretly hurting her.

**(Sometime later)**

The night had completely taken reign of the sky. In the dock area, Zuikaku had finally caught up with her sister who was talking with Ayanami.

"S-Shou! I'm so glad that you waited for me," she said with caution.

"What kind of big sister would I be if I let you traverse these waters at night?" She said too sweetly than Zuikaku felt comfortable with.

"An angry one?" She said hoping to break the mood with humor.

"I don't want to bore poor Ayanami of concerns unrelated to her and it's already dark, so no time to lecture you. We can save that when we get home."

"Hi, Zuikaku." Said Ayanami who looked confused and curious about what happened.

Zuikaku sighed in acceptance of her sister's words. "Hey, Ayanami." She replied tiredly.

"Hey, Zuikaku, isn't that Belfast?" Said Ayanami that made the brown-haired girl turn her head. She locked eyes with Belfast who stood below a lamp light with her ever proper pose.

Zuikaku could see the stoic expression on the maid's face that made her cautious about her reasons here. "Give me a second. She looks like she wants to talk."

Zuikaku moved forward making sure that she remained serious in order to challenge the tone in the air.

"Belfast, right? The passing maid." She said with her arms crossed. She referenced the time they first encountered each other under the heat of battle with her and Enterprise. A part of her was compelled to thank her on the day she rescued a wounded Enterprise from her burning blade. If that wasn't the case, she would have never realized her feelings.

"Indeed I am. A pleasure and pardon my lack of introduction when we met today," she said with humbleness and sincereness.

"Okay, then I'm Zuikaku, Fifth Carrier Division of the Sakura Empire," she said pridefully and as a means to play along with Belfast.

Belfast showed no interest and remained with her fixed stare at the heavy aircraft carrier.

Zuikaku bit her cheek as she wasn't getting anywhere. "Listen, don't mean to be rude, but... it's getting late, and I can tell with that determined face of yours that you're not here to exchange expired formalities, right?"

"Very perceptive, Miss Zuikaku. While I genuinely wanted to undo my rude mistake from before, that is not my main reason as to why I am here."

"Oh, good. I thought I was reading the air wrong-"

"Whatever you are looking for with Miss Enterprise- I'm sorry to say that you won't find it," said the maid abruptly and stoically.

Zuikaku felt her heart stop and her breath leave her body for a quick second. "W-what could you possibly mean by that?"

"You should know what I mean. We are kindred spirits regarding what we feel for Enterprise," she said calmly.

Zuikaku turned her head back to make sure that Shoukaku and Ayanami couldn't overhear. "Belfast, you must be reading what interests I have with Enterprise wrong," she challenged defensively.

"There is nothing wrong with what you feel for Enterprise. She is... remarkable... strong... and compassionate. She was able to forgive us where anyone else should have suspended us from active duty for a month."

"So, you also... "

"Indeed. My heart now beats for and only one. However, this is folly. I've now realized that Enterprise doesn't look for romantic pursuits like I do."

"What makes you so sure? You can't talk for her."

"Indeed. But she is my greatest friend and I know what wars she faces in her heart and it's not love. She's like a flower without a stem floating in a vast ocean. She yearns to find understanding in her life and why she is here floating in this vast ocean. Off in the horizon, there is land that is perfect for her to grow, but on the other side of the ocean, is a storm approaching. The waves would dare carry her to the storm but miraculously, her inner strength finds a way to move closer and closer to land. She is fueled by the things she felt that she needed to discard in order to save others- by the same things that those harsh waves lack, as they are filled with a reluctant understanding that the direction of the storm is the only way to go. That is her struggle. And the day is approaching when the waves will fully come to understand what fuels the flower as they both rush to shore."

Zuikaku recollected the conversation that she had with Enterprise with a woefulness in her heart. "I see... the storm is her endless war and the land is a world where she no longer needs to fight. The flower is her and her compassionate heart. The waves are her old views on war in which she believed that fighting battle after battle would end war altogether."

"Yes, I believe we do share the same mind. Then you would know what would happen to the flower if it did go to the storm."

"It would lose itself. The waves would swallow it up until the beautiful reason for why she fights would vanish," replied the Sakura Empire.

"Her heart always feared that. It desperately questioned her cold answers that she always fell back on and never realized that it was her friends she was ultimately fighting for. In time, the endless battles would have discarded that unformed realization until she truly believed that her reason alone was nothing more than a machine that had to fight."

Zuikaku felt her whole body quiver and tighten up with an amalgamation of anger and sorrow. "Enterprise… damn it… I thought I was stubborn. Screw that! Screw that! She's realized all these things now and knows the value of her friends and why she fights for them. I'm going to be learning under her and it's going to be my duty- no… it's going to be my desire that she never falls ever again. I will always be there to catch her," yelled Zuikaku loud enough for Ayanami and Shoukaku to overhear the last part.

Belfast felt taken aback by the burning intensity of her love rival. "I was wrong to think that you had only fallen for her based on her power alone. I see now that you remain undiminished even after taking a look behind the fame of the Gray Ghost."

"You can keep your complements, maid. She stopped being the Gray Ghost when I no longer wanted to put her out of commission."

"You still don't understand the whole picture for me being here. I'm not going to stop you from pursuing Enterprise, but I know it in my heart that she doesn't fully understand human emotions at the deepest. Love is part of that deepness. I refuse to be the one that forces her to those emotions before she's ready."

Belfast slightly flinched when Zuikaku had closed some distance between them. "Then you are the one who isn't honest with your feelings. You refuse to let your heart guide you to what you want."

"No, I refuse to be the one to undo all the good that I did for her in accepting herself. My deeper feelings could cause our friendship to bend and cause her to close herself off again."

"That won't come to pass. Are you so in love with the amount of progress you made that you won't let your heart take the wheel?"

"Everything I do I do for her. She needs a friend now more than a lover that she doesn't know how to act around."

"Fine, be her friend. Anyone can have more than one friend, but a lover… now that's a different matter. The only way through an obstacle is forward and I won't let my chance falter. You'll be seeing a lot more of me, passing maid," she gave her a back wave as she joined her sister and Ayanami who looked more confused than ever.

They departed leaving behind Belfast who, under the light of the lamp, had a balled-up fist. "Miss Zuikaku…" she said unable to allow herself to speak ill of the Sakura Empire Carrier.

**That's chapter three down! How has the story been so far? I've found myself really enjoying writing the characters and trying to craft the way they speak and think. I'm aware that I could always perfect it, so feel free to ask and give me tips as well. I've been playing more of the game and trying to finish the main campaign along with reading up on the lore and back story. The next chapter will probably be two parts or one big chapter since I want to lay out the full plot of this story before it gets further in because the whole mirror thing in the summery plays a part.**


	4. When a Sea is Born

**Chapter 4: When a Sea is Born**

A few days had gone by since that fated night were Belfast and Zuikaku had confronted each other about their secret love for the strongest Eagle Union. Just like Zuikaku said, she and Enterprise had spent dedicated days going over attack formations, techniques, and practice drills to name a few.

Belfast was a witness to these events. Much to her heart's pain, she would lay her eyes whenever they would go out to sea. Today was different compared to the other sessions. Instead of finding herself either passively gazing at them from the dock or beach shore, she was standing on Hornet's battleship out in the middle of the sea.

Hornet was carelessly sunbathing in a bikini and black sunglasses on without a care in the world. Another witness of today's event was Shoukaku who had her battleship parked near Hornets.

"Are you sure you don't want to hang out over here, Shou?" Lazily replied Hornet with her head slightly turned toward the direction of the Sakura Empire girl that looked bored.

"Hehe don't mind me, Miss Hornet. I don't do so well on another's ship. Something about the waves and the sounds they make while they hit metal makes me seasick, surprisingly enough unless it's my own ship." She forced out a fake smile to play off her act.

Hornet grinned and kicked herself up from her beach chair that she was in. The sounds of a chair being dismantled filled Belfast's ears, yet she didn't care to turn her head. "Cool, then there shouldn't be a problem if I vault over there, right?" She said without even waiting for a solid yes or no.

"Kyaa!" Shouted Shoukaku when Hornet had jumped from her ship to land on Shoukaku's ship. "That was dangerous, you know that?!"

"Life's all about excitement! Hey, you got a pretty sweet deck floor here," complemented Hornet who continued her lounging around.

The seething irritation from Shoukaku went unnoticed to the blond twin-tailed carrier.

"Hey, Belfast! Join us over here," shouted Hornet. She changed expressions two seconds later when she received no response from the Royal Navy light cruiser. "Hmm, wonder what's up her mind."

Belfast was indeed deep in thought as she looked at Zuikaku and Enterprise during their lecture.

Over where Zuikaku and Enterprise were, the two had been exchanging weak strikes to each other. "Your strikes are too wide and predictable. This is even more emphasized with a fighter like me who doesn't even specialize in the fundamentals of swordplay," she said sternly with her bow blocking repeated blows from her katana.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, Ent. You're… you. Your reflexes and intuition are the sharpest. I can only imagine your ability if you did take the time to study it," commented Zuikaku between haggard breaths and blocked strikes. She grew irritated at the defensive play of Enterprise and tried to fake a wide strike from above, however, at the last minute, she lowered her blade for a strike from below.

"Hmph, that one had more meaning," said Enterprise as she quickly blocked the strike at the last second.

"Oh, come on," said Zuikaku. She pushed hard against the bow that was used as a shield only for the bow to be pulled to the side that caused her to fall forward. "Ah!" Her face was spared the cold waters when she was grabbed by her white Crane hoodie.

"Complementing your enemy won't get you anywhere, Zuikaku," softly said the Eagle Union who brought her back to her feet.

"B-but… you're not the enemy…" replied Zuikaku with a blush.

Enterprise widened her eyes for a brief second and then smiled with a chuckle. "Fine, I get it. I doubt that I'll need to worry about you making small talk with a siren," she said.

"Darn right. But still, I can feel myself improving with our battles… if only slightly."

"Don't be discouraged, we've only been training and running drills for only a few days. I remember when Yorktown would run me to the ground that she had to drag me back to shore," softly said Enterprise as she fondly remembered a different and simpler time.

"Yorktown?"

"Huh? Oh, my older sister… it's nothing." She felt embarrassed that she showed this side to Zuikaku, yet she couldn't help but feel happy at the memory. When she thought about her older sister, she would think about her final days and Yorktown's desire to pass the torch onto her to bear all the responsibilities that her older sister once had. The difference there was that her older sister had a smile on her face from the beginning unlike her. Still, it felt nice to think of a happy memory of her older sister that brought warmth to her heart. Her eyes then looked back to Zuikaku but her mind wasn't fully back to reality as she could only see the lips moving of the Sakura Empire. In this unfocused state, she looked to the side and noticed Belfast looking at them.

Belfast had been staring without faltering yet when Enterprise had locked gazes with her, she found herself looking away and acting less rigid. Something inside Enterprise had registered this small action as cute.

"… so, what do you think?" Said Zuikaku that succeeded in bringing the Eagle Union back.

"huh? I'm sorry, but what were we talking about?" She said with shame at herself for drowning out the conversation.

Zuikaku felt dejected but soldiered on with a smile. "I… was wondering if you wanted to… um… come over to the Sakura Empire? There's a new food place that's gaining a lot of traction, and a lot of them say that the food is really good."

"That sounds very fun. We can do it today and make it a group thing since Hornet, Belfast, and your sister are here," she said happily.

Zuikaku twitched her right eye at the fact that her feelings were miss directed. "Okay…" She quickly responded while holding her breath in sheer dumbfoundedness. She'll take this victory no matter how small it was, and she'll even stomach the maid if she so happened to agree to tag along.

A loud incoming message emanated from the Eagle Union's bow command structure. "It's from Cleveland, " she said seriously. She accepted the message and Cleveland's voice came out of her bow.

"Enterprise... Enterprise..."

"I'm here, what happened, Cleveland?"

"Enterprise, I'm sorry to throw this at you at the last minute but we have a distress call from an unknown SOS." The sound shifted over the audio as a recorded message played in place of Cleveland's voice.

"... N-need... help... sirens everywhere... my sister... they got my sister... looking... for me..." The recording stopped and Cleveland came back. "The rest is hazy, but they also provided the location of their SOS shortly after the message.

Enterprise could feel an uneasy sensation to the message that fought against her as she took into account the sister part. "This unknown SOS? They did not give their hull number name, or even where they are from?"

"None, Ent. We can only assume that they might be Sakura Empire, Iron Blood or one of the others. The Eagle Union and Royal Navy have already accounted for the active ships on sea right now, and by the time we request a roster update from Sakura or Iron Blood, it might be too late."

"This sounds serious, Enty. I can reach the Empire for an update on active ships but what if it's someone who didn't even inform anyone that they were heading out to sea, like the younger ones?"

"I didn't even think about that?!" Came the worried cries of Cleveland.

"Both of you relax. Send me the details of the location of the signal. I have Belfast, Hornet, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku with me to engage any siren resistance."

"Alright, thanks Ent, and please be careful. We don't know what siren level this is, and I would feel a lot better knowing you were the one engaging," said Cleveland over the audio.

"Understood." She cut the audio call and looked to Zuikaku with a reluctant nod.

"Is this going to be a sortie?" Questioned the Sakura Empire.

"Unfortunately. Zui, while you might be excited about this mission, please don't let it cloud your duties. The safety of the SOS ship comes first if possible before enemy engagement."

"I understand. I won't dishonor your name while I'm under your command, Enty." She gave her a smile filled with enough charm and light to brighten anyone's day.

Enterprise did indeed find herself quite charmed by the formal nature that Zuikaku would respond to her as if she was an Elder of the Sakura Empire, yet would have a friendly tone to it coupled with her usage of a nickname. It was like an endearing blend of the two.

"Hornet! Bel! Shou! We have an incoming unknown SOS!" She yelled loudly.

Hornet pulled up her sunglasses with a pout. "Really? Well, that's a bummer. Oh well, guess it can't be helped." She was about to inform Belfast to clear out of her ship, but the maid had already abandoned it since she had her rig on in case of active duty. She landed gracefully in the water and made her way to Enterprise. "Always one step ahead, she is, " Hornet said with a grin.

Hornet's ship dematerialized into particles and transformed into her rig with her regular outfit replacing her bikini with a flash of light. "Alright, all set." She felt the deck give out and then she was falling downward. She barely managed to get her balance in time and avoided the water. "Hey. Shou, a little heads up next time you pull the ground from under me," said Hornet.

Shoukaku covered her laugh with a hand and blasted off to join the others. "Huh? What's her deal?"

"Everyone, we will be engaging possible siren threats on this mission. We must use caution and discretion while we rescue the stranded ship first."

"Enty, let me be the one to back you up," said Zuikaku.

"No, our formation will be different this time. You will be with your sister to maximize the output of both of you. Belfast will take the lead and be with me, and Hornet will watch our rear if they try to flank us."

"I shall remain vigilant, Enterprise. Just leave the waves of underlings to me and focus on the ringleader of this operation," responded the Royal maid with a small bow that made Zuikaku cross her arms with a displeased face.

"What's with the extra layer of precaution?" Asked Shoukaku with worry.

"The SOS didn't have time to describe the severity of the threat, also I feel like something is off," said Enterprise with an uncertain look in her eyes.

"Well, you did mention it was an unknown SOS, which sounds pretty shady. Like, why didn't they lead with their identity first? That's like one of the first rules of ship distress 101. Hull class identification, coordinates of the distress, then the threat if given enough time," said Hornet.

"Indeed, this distress feels far off from a standard one," said Belfast.

"It could be a younger ship that hasn't learned or forgotten the standard protocol in the heat of the action," said Zuikaku.

"We can't ignore it. She said that they had her sister... we can't let anything happen to them," declared Enterprise with unwavering conviction.

Everyone agreed yet felt too uneasy about it even after they had heard the message played back while they were headed to the location.

**(A short time later)**

The waves were the only sounds to be heard as all of them remained on high alert of a possible ambush from the enemy.

"There... I see..." Enterprise's eyes widened as something in the distance was burning angrily and creating a huge amount of smoke.

"Those monsters, please tell me that the girl is still alive," said Zuikaku with anger pouring into her.

"W-what?!" Enterprise finally had a better look when she spotted a raft-style boat with concrete waist-high walls that simulated the outline structure of a boat. A crude command deck had been built in the center with old scrap metal and chipped window glass. Anyone seeing it off in the distance would immediately think it was a small supply boat. There were about twenty or so barrels that were burning up inside the walled structure to further simulate that it was a ship in distress.

"If this is a joke, it isn't funny," replied Shoukaku with a worried voice.

Enterprise was the first to notice the malefic unnatural force in the air. "Everyone, get behind me!"

No one else had the time to question it when a large fiery strike had shot out from behind the boat.

Enterprise shot the incoming blast with her arrow that when the two collided, smoke poured out of the enemy's attack that covered them all.

"Cough... ugh... it's hard to breathe in this thing..." grunted Hornet.

Enterprise remained unfazed as her eyes were not fooled to the chaos that was unfolding. "I'm done with your games, Purifier." She aimed her bow and shot a powerful strike that created a shockwave that blew the dark smoke away.

Her powerful strike hit the decoy boat that caused it to flip over and fly across the water.

Everyone witnessed a pair of yellow eyes above the water looking back at them from where the boat had originally been. These sets of eyes widened with a joyous implication that the user's smile was greatly widened under the murkiness of the water.

The enemy emerged from hiding with her massive yellow and black alien rig in tow. "Hahaha... Haha! Yes! Enterprise, you are exactly the pathetic ship I was hoping to catch, and you brought friends, too," she bellowed with an evil grin that held no innocence.

"Purifier, what are you scheming this time? And where are the pair of sisters?!" Yelled Enterprise wildly that made Belfast and the Crane sisters give her a worried look.

"Huh? Wow, for being the strongest and toughest... you sure aren't the brightest shipgirl. There is no pair of sisters. There never was," she said enjoying the grand reveal that hit Enterprise hard.

"Then who was the one that sent the..." Belfast had her answer when Purifier had spoken again.

"Help... me... they got... my sister," she said with a device in her hands that altered her voice to that of a shy and scared girl.

"How truly monstrous," said Belfast with narrow eyes.

"Thanks for the compliment. I made this device by myself, and I also made this little beauty right here," she held a transceiver-like device in her other hand.

"That... explains everything," said Enterprise with narrow eyes.

"This one was a little trickier to make. I had to salvage parts from destroyed ships until I had enough of the key parts. Once that was done, I had the ability to mimic a distress signal to the Azur lane's communication structure."

"No wonder that it felt shady. She masked the origin of the signal to resemble that of a fellow Azur lane ship calling out for help," remarked Hornet.

"You got that right, blondie," laughed Purifier.

All of them quickly realized that the sky had turned into a reflective multi-colored glass with cracks and openings that showed a deep void behind it. All around the Shipgirls, a fleet of mass-produced siren ships had materialized from out of nowhere.

"Ah, she played us like a flute! Zui, I'm getting scared, " said Shoukaku.

"I got you, sis. Nothing is going to hurt you with me around," declared Zuikaku.

"At what ends did you plan to achieve with all this?" Replied Enterprise unamused and deathly serious.

Purifier gritted her teeth at the uncaring nature of the Eagle Union. "This doesn't impress you? Wow, I'm so hurt. White-haired girl, I like her energy but you... so gray and boring."

"I refuse to humor you with any emotion of your liking."

"Ugh, you're such a bummer. I bet Observer Alpha died of boredom when she and her... little side project went down," she cracked a crazed laugh that was truly unsettling.

"You mean the Orochi warship?"

"Wasn't that your miserable band's secret weapon?" Shouted Zuikaku.

"Hmm, maybe... maybe not... it was Observer Alpha's pride and joy. I, on the other hand, have my own little side project."

She held up a small black object that made Enterprise express a deep fear. Visions of a dark night and endless fire entered her mind. "That's... the black mental cube..." she said.

"Correct, Enty. This is the exact one that has your data stored safely inside. I could have given this to Observer Alpha but... I had a change of heart," she smiled sinisterly that told them it wasn't a reform to the side of good.

"You betrayed your own ally..." Commented Enterprise.

"Pfft, please, Observer Alpha would have done the same thing after she no longer needed to work with us. She stated that somehow, her grand plan would have benefited the rest of us, but it was all lies. Now she's dead... thanks a bunch for that, Enty. You know, we're not that easy to take out, you know. There is nothing stopping me from reaching across time and space and pulling her back into this reality as if the last few weeks didn't happen at all. But that would be boring… and a waste of my energy. I don't need her, and I don't need the others now that this little beauty is finally ready for usage after modifying it a lot."

"Enterprise, it would seem that the standards that we held for the sirens have managed to lower. Quite surprisingly for how low they were to begin," said Belfast.

"She's horrible; seeing all of this as just a game. Purifier! I will never allow you to win. We... will never allow that!"

"Hmph, surrounded and super brave. That's fine. It would be boring if otherwise. I did invite you all to see me at my grandest, so humor me- praise me!"

"Oh, what's she blabbering on about now? I'm getting sick of her monologuing," said Hornet.

"You will stand there and listen to my evil plan! Okay? Ugh, where was I... ah, yes... I made that distress signal as a shot in the dark to get Enty to show up. I feel so lucky that all it took was the pathetic cries of two sisters with the sad ending that one might bite the bullet."

"You will be biting it in the end," retorted Enterprise.

"Unlikely, this mirror sea is my grand piece to my plan. You see, Enty... I like your body..." she said with vicious undertones.

Both Zuikaku and Belfast felt ashamed and confused at what the siren had said that made them blush.

Enterprise looked more disgusted than ever at the siren.

"I like that strong body of yours that holds unlimited potential. So, I'm going to be your biggest number one fan and take in this power into my own body. The data in this mental cube that holds your power will finally help me achieve unimaginable perfection with your power and my ability to distort time and space! This mirror sea is intended for that purpose. Think of it as a testing ground for possibilities like creating a new warship in here that can be used outside this reality. That was one original purpose of the concept of the mirror sea, but now… with my version, I modified it so it can allow the warship to be built inside me, a feat that the black mental cube wasn't designed for as well. But who cares, since it's been modified too, so screw all that! It's great since I'll be melding two bodies together for power only, and don't have to worry about pesky memories and personality traits that sadly accumulate within the data stored in the mental cube. Ugh, honestly, I don't know what that tentacle-obsessed nut had in mind to filter out those stupid flaws during the data extraction," she finished with a disrespectful jab to her former Siren companion.

"She's completely off her rocker, and whose she to call someone else a nut?" remarked Hornet.

"Shut up! Overflowing power will soon be mine. And you are all here merely to be witnesses of my righteousness, then you will all die," she smirked evilly.

"Belfast, on my command, use your smokescreen to hide us from the enemy ships. Zuikaku and Shoukaku, work on taking out the ships with Belfast. And Hornet, can you give me a window to give her the finishing blow?"

"You can leave that to me, sis," smirked Hornet.

Enterprise locked eyes with Purifier who didn't take notice of the quickly forming plan.

"Your plans will fail."

"And why's that?" Smirked the crazed siren.

"Anyone who decides to stand alone is doomed to fall, especially the ones who cast aside their allies- now, Belfast!"

Belfast scattered a large smokescreen that covered the overall area that shielded everyone from the enemy. When the white smoke had covered the vast area, the first response emerged in the form of countless airplanes brandishing the Sakura Empire symbol. They dropped bombs on the enemy ships that signaled the start of the conflict.

The first one that emerged was Shoukaku who gracefully floated in the air with the white parts of her crane coat floating like wings. She played the flute that gave her a deeper control over the actions of her fighter planes.

The next was both Belfast and Zuikaku. The fire user of the Sakura Empire unleashed a giant slash of fire to her side that provided them with a short barricade from getting attacked on that side by the enemy. She then charged at three ships with two of her burning planes that dived headfirst toward the side ships. She loaded her blade with a burning mini plane, then jumped into the air and cut downward in a vertical slice across the middle ship as if it was butter.

Belfast took more concentrated fire from the enemy ships, but due to her quick usage of her smokescreen, and her evasive tactics, she was able to gracefully dance across the water. Her counterattack was her burning shells coupled with the main cannon fire from her rig.

Purifier scrounged up her face in annoyance at their struggle. Her focus was forced to turn when she spotted a large number of B-25 bombers coming at her. "Ha, it looks like you want to play, blondie," she viciously mocked as she fired high-powered lasers at the bomber planes.

Hornet shot out of the smoke with a wide grin to challenge Purifier's sickly smirk. "Hey, dingus, don't you know that monologuing never gets you anywhere? You could have already done what you said you would!"

"Err! Shut up!" The siren was forced to start moving when a few of the bombers were able to reach her and start unloading their firepower at her. Her laser cannons moved and danced like a vicious light show sworn to take out all bombers in their path. "I'll show you, blondie! You'll be the first one I destroy!" She brought the black mental cube close to her chest as a distortion in space appeared near it. The mirror sea also began to respond with a feel of heavy energy gathering.

"That's as far as you go!" Shouted Enterprise with her bow ready. Her shot fired toward the Siren.

"Darn you." She directed a few of her cannon lasers, along with a large group of black siren jets that raced toward Enterprise. The arrows of the Eagle Union were hit by the lasers, but Shoukaku's planes were able to take on the black siren jets in place of Enterprise.

"Great work, Shou," quickly replied Enterprise to the older Crane sister that made the sister's face take on furrowed brows. If only she wasn't playing her flute, then she would have had more to express. Enterprise continued her assault with three arrows this time that fired at once.

The Siren aimed at her arrows but this time, they turned into her fighter planes that evaded the crossfire of the lasers. "You're so tenacious!" she laughed as she activated a reflective shield that took out the three fighter planes in an instant. She then turned quickly around to dispatch the last remaining B-25 Bombers from Hornet's fleet. "Ships, swarm that pest!" She commanded as a large siren destroyer ship advanced on Hornet from behind.

Hornet grunted in fear as she was forced to fight it head-on.

Purifier's instincts kicked in when she barely dodged another failed attempt from Enterprise's arrows from hitting her. "Don't you think you should throw in the towel?" She mocked at the Eagle Union.

"Hmm, not really."

"Huh?" Purifier failed to notice until it was too late that the arrow that she missed had turned into a fighter plane and turned sharply around to drop a payload at her. She screamed as she was thrown off her black and yellow alien-like jet rig. The black mental cube was then dejected from her hand and the distortion had canceled out.

Enterprise locked eyes with it as an image of the fallen version of her flashed in her mind. "This time, I will do what I should have done!" She launched a powerful arrow at it filled with all her hopes for a brighter future.

The arrow briefly chipped it, much to the surprise of the Eagle Union as she was expecting it to shatter like glass. The chipped part then began to shine with a purple light that responded to the heavy energy that had gathered. Upon this contact, the cube fully exploded followed by a dark smoke that filled the air.

Everyone was caught in the smoke and they all felt separated from each other as if they were in their own personal world.

**(Hornet)**

Hornet coughed from the smoke. "Ent! Where are you!?" She shouted into the void that was the black smoke. Her vision was limited, and she could not find her sense of direction in this blackened world. Her body froze up when she remembered the destroyer that she was fighting. That same destroyer had its cannon lined up to her face in a point-blank hit. She quivered in fear as she saw her life flash before her.

Out in the void, the radiant light of an arrow tore through the darkness with wild unchecked force at the destroyer. This shot tore through its hull and flipped it over to its side as if it was nothing.

"Whoa… Ent… was that you?" She asked the darkness where that arrow of light came from; the darkness did not reply.

**(Belfast)**

Belfast found the encroaching darkness to be unsettling to her. Her heart ached at the isolation she felt from the others in this black smoke that felt like it had a mind of its own. Aside from her heart aching, she could feel shifting shadows all around her as if she was being watched.

The loud sounds of fighter planes pulled her out of her worries as she squinted to see the iconic planes of Enterprise. "Enterprise! I'm over here," she shouted, however, the planes continued to fly away from her. "I don't understand. Why are they ignoring me? Why is Enterprise ignoring me?" She said with a heavy worry at the fact that those airplanes were an extension of her friend, and yet, they coldly ignored her.

**(Enterprise)**

"Hornet! Belfast! Zuikaku! Shoukaku!" She urgently glided across the water in search of her friends in this dark void that light from the sun couldn't pierce. Regret started to set in as she remembered that this black smoke had been due to the black mental cube being destroyed… at least, she thought she did.

Two sets of bird-like shadows entered the corner of her vision as they quickly came into focus to be her airplanes. "What?" She recollected the number of arrows she shot and the number of planes she deployed but the discrepancy in the number she saw and the number that survived didn't make sense. They flew silently close to her that made her unease. "Deviate now," she said sternly, yet they didn't follow. "I said deviate now! That's an order." This time they indeed deviated from her only to engage in combat as each one launched a payload at her. "Ugh!"

She barely dodged the twin bombs that filled her face with heat and water from the explosion that came into contact with the sea. She didn't have enough time to regain her balance when a third plane emerged from in front of her with gunfire that grazed her left arm, then, it launched its own payload that swallowed Enterprise in water and heat.

**(Zuikaku)**

Zuikaku made her way through the darkness until her fingers connected with someone else. "Shou!" She cried in joy when both Crane sisters were able to hug each other after finding the other.

"Thank goodness I found you, Zui," cried the white-haired Crane sister.

"It's going to be okay, sis. All we need to do is find the others and get out of this mirror sea," she said with confidence.

"What is this black smoke? This is different from the last time we were trapped in the mirror sea," said Shoukaku.

"I'm not sure… it feels like It has a mind of its own… huh?" Zuikaku faintly saw the outline of a figure that was watching the two. "Enterprise…?" she responded when she noticed a black outline of a bow.

"W-why is she standing over there so silently?" Said Shoukaku.

The dark outline of Enterprise responded with her eyes opening to see the eyes of a siren with their yellow ghostly shine.

Zuikaku instinctively pulled out her sword with a tremble to it. "Enty…?"

Her nerves came back when she put the facts together and held her katana with more confidence as she challenged the yellow eyes that stared back. "She's a siren!" Declared Zuikaku with her steadfast resolve.

The yellow soon began to dim and the figure approached them close enough for their features to take form.

The brown-haired Sakura carrier's heart faltered as if it plummeted from orbit when those former yellow eyes turned into the purplish-blue that she had fallen for. Her blade then trembled when the figure turned out to be Enterprise. "No... this isn't possible, " she said with horror.

This individual looked like Enterprise with only a few differences. She no longer dawned her captain's hat that the Eagle Union was fond of, instead, her head showed a messy style of hair both cut shorter than Enterprise and wildly displayed. She had on a worn-out black scarf around her neck, her shirt looked similar to Enterprise with only a few minor alterations with it mostly being a different kind of stitching in the black detailing and her having no tie. She wore two long black arm warmers with white cuffs at the wrists, and one leg warmer on her right leg with light wrappings at the top. The coat that Enterprise wore with honor and pride had been reduced to a fluttering cape that had seen countless battles as part of it looked like bullets had grazed it. The black scarf could have been an extension of the former coat with the possible sleeves lightly wrapped around her neck as two long strand pieces of fabric were shown to dangle near her chest area. The final detail was that she had a bullet wound that looked fresh on her left arm.

"Enterprise...? What happened?" Whispered the brown-haired girl loud enough for her to hear how broken she sounded.

Enterprise did not respond.

Zuikaku looked into her eyes to see the eyes she fell in love with, however, these eyes lied to her as no light shined from them as they once did. These eyes were tired and broken as if they had seen a thousand battles, experienced so much death, and had been pushed to the brink of a dark void, only to be brought back into the only world they knew; conflict.

"Enty... it's me... please say something," she pleaded with tears as she couldn't bear the sight of the one she loved looking so broken.

Enterprise responded with her bow drawn as she fired a radiating arrow at the katana of the Sakura Empire.

Her blade flew out of her hand as she would have never expected Enterprise to shoot at her. Numbing pain soon flowed through her hand at the intense force that vibrated through her hand when her katana was knocked away.

"Zuikaku! Enterprise, what is going on with you?" Begged Shoukaku. She defensively hugged her younger sister who dropped to her knees in pain.

No emotion was shown from the Eagle Union as she readied another arrow. She then canceled her aim and backed away into the darkness.

"Zuikaku!"

Zuikaku took her mind away from the pain as the familiar voice filled her ears. It didn't come from the Enterprise that had fired her katana away but from behind her.

A blinding arrow zoomed past them and hit the last known area that Enterprise had been at.

"Shou, Zui, I saw a flash of light come from that direction. Who was that? What did you see?" Begged Enterprise at a confused pair of Crane sisters.

"How did you? What on earth is going on?!" Yelled Shoukaku.

Zuikaku looked up to see the warm purplish-blue eyes of the Eagle Union with her normal outfit and hair. "Enty?" She said spellbound by the events that had just taken place.

"It's me. Huh? What happened to your hand?" Asked Enterprise with concern.

"You should know! You were the one that knocked her sword out of her hand!" Yelled Shoukaku.

"What? I would never do that to Zuikaku," cried Enterprise with reason.

"S-sister… don't let your anger cloud your reasoning. The one who shot at me had a drastic appearance change than the one Enty is usually in. She was clearly… a siren." Softly spoke Zuikaku with a small smile that nothing had happened to Enterprise. She then saw that she also had a wound in the same arm as the other Enterprise. "Enty, you're hurt..."

"This... is nothing. I'm more concerned about your hand," she said as she pieced the scene of events that happened.

"Eh, don't worry. It's only numb, Enty," she said with joyful humbleness.

Their short moment of joy had ended when the black smoke started to disperse. In the distance, a large sound of metal plummeted into the water. With the smoke nearly dispersed, a large visible ship had appeared from it like a ghost ship coming out of a fog.

All three of them retreated away from it as the mass seemed to keep growing.

With sunlight finally visible, everyone started to group up with each other with renewed happiness that no one was injured.

"Where did that enemy ship come from?" Asked Belfast.

Enterprise felt like she was in a trance as she moved hypnotically forward with a look of frightening fear in her eyes. "This ship..."

The remaining black smoke that had slowly dissipated had moved upward like a sheet being pulled away. Slowly, the features of the ship had started to unravel, however, there was no mistake for Enterprise who already knew what ship it was just by glancing at the underside.

"... is mine," she gravely spoke as the black smoke had disappeared to fully show the USS Enterprise in all its might.

"That can't be... there's no way!" Shouted Belfast.

"Look, in the front part of the ship," pointed Shoukaku with shakiness to her voice.

The same person that had wounded Zuikaku's hand was standing on the edge of the runway with a captive Purifier held in the air by her throat.

"Huh, okay this day is getting freakier and freakier, " commented Hornet.

"Ah! You can say that again," quickly added Shoukaku.

The other Enterprise gazed only at her counterpart as if she was the only one else in the whole sea. Her eyes remained tired and broken, yet they had not lost their fire of determination.

Purifier gasped for air as she looked down with horror at the uncaring Enterprise that refused her of any breath. "I am your master... you dare treat me like... this?"

The copy Enterprise finally looked her way. "Forgive me..." She dropped her as she gasped for air on the ground. Her short reprieve was immediately silenced with a hard kick to the Siren's head that briefly knocked her out. "... I hope that's better," she said flatly.

She walked closer to the edge with her eyes never leaving Enterprise and extended her arm out. "...Engage!"

Those words made Enterprise widened her eyes as fighter planes that brandished her design took to the skies. "Everyone, get away from me! She's only after me!" Enterprise lined up her fleet rig and fired her own fleet of fighter planes.

Both forces collided with each other in a fierce dog fight. Metal and gunfire sounded as Enterprise tried to contain the battle.

Shoukaku and Zuikaku glided in synch toward the false Enterprise.

"What are you doing?" Shouted Enterprise.

"We are not going to let you take her on by yourself. I can still use my other hand and Shoukaku can reinforce your fleet with her own," shouted Zuikaku as she loaded her katana with fire and slashed at a group of three fighter planes that swooped downward.

Belfast and Hornet also took charge. "I might be down most of my bombers, but I can still fight for sure," declared the blond Eagle Union.

"Everyone here has your back, Enterprise." Said Belfast who took aim and fired away at incoming air fighters.

The fight grew more chaotic with each passing second as more fighter planes were shooting out of the runway of the fake Enterprise.

Enterprise was just barely matching the speed of reinforcements as she decided on pulling out her bow and jumping into the heat of the battle. She fired away at any fighter planes that got close to her or Shoukaku who had her flute in her mouth to command her planes.

The fake Enterprise ramped up the heat as her fighter planes avoided dog fights and began to drop payload after payload.

"Ah, crud, I'm down to my last wave of bombers. Do I have any torpedo bombers on me?" She said hectically like someone checking themselves for spare change. Oddly enough, she could tell that there were no hostile enemies that were being aggressive toward her with most of them flat out avoiding her. There was even one that had a clear shot at her yet didn't take it that resulted in Hornet dispatching it with firepower. They also partially avoided Belfast who was forced to dodge a few. The majority were focused on Enterprise and Shoukaku with Zuikaku as well since she was the most actively forcing her way forward.

"This is bad. I'm having a hard time knowing which ones are mine," said Enterprise as she tried to maintain a leveled rational mind in this heat of battle. She grunted as she was forced to deploy focused bursts of payloads in certain areas where the enemy planes clustered low to the waters. Above all, she maintained her careful eye that she didn't hit her allies.

"Enty! Shou! Give me some cover," yelled Zuikaku who was close to reaching the USS Enterprise. The flaming airplanes that she had that defended her were quickly outmaneuvered by the fake Enterprise's fighter planes.

She was only allowed to keep going as two of Shoukaku's fighter planes had taken out the aggressors. Sadly, those planes didn't last long as more hostile reinforcements encroached on the brown-haired Sakura Empire.

"Already on it," shouted the Eagle Union as she fired an arrow that split into three that took out the reinforcements. She then fired a powerful shot at her counterpart.

The fake Enterprise looked at her command deck that briefly shined with a blue grid aesthetic. Her bow then appeared in her hands as she shot down the arrow with her own with a pinpoint aim.

"Whoa, sis... I didn't know you could do that," said Hornet.

Enterprise gritted her teeth. "Not only does she have my arsenal and power, but she also has my proficiency with the bow."

"Yeah, that's crazy, but why is she keeping her ship in that mode? Wouldn't it be better if she activated her rig?" Asked Hornet.

"Yes, It's not practical to make yourself a wider target, especially when your opponents are in this mode. She's trying to mock me…" replied Enterprise with a deep stare at her stoic counterpart.

The fake Enterprise summoned three arrows and aimed at Zuikaku.

Quick on her feet, Zuikaku evaded the arrows but the waves of water from the backlash pushed her back. "I can't get closer than this!"

Both Enterprises exchanged arrows that were either canceled out by flying fighter planes or deflected by their own respective arrows.

Enterprise hated herself for admiring the eyesight of this imposter that could shoot down a thin line from different angles and speeds just like her.

"We're not making any progress here!" Zuikaku gasped as a group of fighter planes had flanked her from behind.

"Get down, Miss Zuikaku!" Shouted Belfast as she launched her burning shells at the planes.

"T-thanks for the assist," reluctantly replied Zuikaku.

Belfast politely acknowledged the jester at the very least with a hint of resistance. "The situation truly is dire. Our enemy's battle tactics appear to be berserker-like in nature. She's truly not holding back her punches."

Zuikaku lowered her gaze in an understanding of the enemy that laid in front of them. She was wild and uncontrollable. Just by looking at the way she commanded her fighter planes spoke great volumes. "She... has no respect for the battlefield or her fighter planes..."

Belfast nodded in agreement and they looked at their Enterprise whose tactics were the complete opposite.

Enterprise would slowly and carefully launch new planes just enough to keep her enemy in check. Anymore and Shoukaku's planes would end up getting confused as to which ones they were fighting. She also kept her payload bombs to a minimum and used gunfire as her primary. The only thing she was comfortable using was her bow which matched her counterpart's power into a draw as the imposter would launch more arrows wildly to make up for her one-woman army offensive.

"Zuikaku... we need to retreat and let Enterprise handle this," she said sternly.

"No, all we need is a different plan."

"There is no better plan... she's fighting against us in a matter that we never witnessed our Enterprise fight. She lacks her self-control and all we're doing is limiting Enterprise from matching her."

The despair in Zuikaku's heart could cause her to fall right there. She refused to believe that, yet, her numbed hand that experienced the arrow that deflected her katana spoke differently. Has she always been holding back that much? "Shoukaku, retreat," shouted Zuikaku with a heavy heart.

"What?" Said both Shoukaku and Hornet in disbelief.

"We must retreat and let Enterprise handle this herself, " she explained.

"I'm not leaving my sister to fight alone!" Raged Hornet.

"Hornet, I want that... please, it's me she wants," calmly spoke Enterprise with a sisterly soothing voice that made Hornet hate herself for wanting to comply.

"Grr... beat her up sis and show her the power of the true Enterprise!"

Enterprise nodded with a smile.

They all retreated further back to give the battlefield to Enterprise. "Thank you, Zuikaku," she said as both she and Belfast passed her by.

The fake Enterprise raised her hand to halt her fighter planes from further engagement. They circled around the battlefield to wait and see what unfolded next with a calmness that matched the eye of a storm. A flicker of life had been shown in the fake Enterprise as her gaze laid only to her counterpart.

"You mock me and try to force my hand. I refuse to sink to your depths of war. However, to hold back against you would be like lying to myself. Just this once, I shall respond to your level of war." A spark had ignited in the Eagle Union's eyes as she unleashed a full fleet that took to the skies like an angry approaching storm.

The fake Enterprise responded with more fighter planes taking to the skies and her current ones no longer docile as they charged into battle.

This version of their dog fight was more brutal and evasive as each plane was fighting without regard for the others.

Enterprise commanded her planes to bomb her counterpart's ship, yet her counterpart responded with defensive arrows and fighter planes taking the hit. "You still mock me?! Even after giving you what you want?!" She fired a handful of arrows that split into smaller ones, however, they failed to reach their target as they were blocked by a wall of fighter planes that took the hit.

Enterprise felt disgusted by how her counterpart forced her fighter planes to sacrifice themselves like bees wasting their stingers to protect the hive.

The fight grew heavy and the pile of broken metal continued to grow all around the mirror sea.

Off in the distance, the others looked on with terror-induced captivation in their eyes that rendered them from looking away. "This is cruel! Even by herself, they are only mirroring each other!" Said Shoukaku.

"Ent has the advantage of dodging attacks but the other... she's like a fortress that would throw her own allies to protect it," said Hornet.

"Even this situation is pointless!" Cried Zuikaku as she quickly made up her mind and blasted to join the fight.

"Wait! Get back here!" Cried Belfast who followed her.

"Both of you get back here!" Tiredly shouted Hornet.

"Have you gone quite mad?! We will only be getting in the way!" Reasoned Belfast.

"I don't care! Maybe listening to Enterprise and doing what she asks makes you feel better, but it's getting us or her nowhere. I understand that we will only get in the way, but we won't be doing that..."

Belfast could no longer hold back her displeasure at the words that hit hard inside her. "I... I do not idle around and weakly accept her orders! If that was the case, then I would have never been able to make her start loving herself."

"Ha, if that's the case, what do you call this bad situation?" Replied Zuikaku.

Belfast grumbled under her breath, but after seeing the stalemate that had appeared from their one on one fight, she knew that something had to be done as well. "Well, alright. Enterprise is quite valiant but also endearingly foolish in that same regard that she would jump through fire alone If she had to for the sake of others. What is your plan, Zuikaku?"

"It's simple, we need to stealth are way onto her fleet and provide Enty with an opening. That's all she needs... an opening." She reached across the water to pick up a broken sheet of siren metal from the former massed-produced ships and hid underneath it.

Belfast did the same as she pulled it over her. "A decoy distraction… very well. Is your hand okay for this encounter?" she said as they both glided across the waters unnoticed.

"I'll manage," replied Zuikaku with the only thing in her mind was making sure Enterprise was safe.

Both Enterprises had been locked in an unhealthy obsession with the other that they both failed to realize Zuikaku and Belfast's advancing presence on the battlefield.

Enterprise dodged a few more payloads that came her way and summoned more arrows into her hand. The roaring sounds of gunfire headed her way that knocked the arrows out of her hand. "Ah! Can she read my mind?" She asked herself as she used her bow to smash an incoming fighter plane.

The fake Enterprise fired one arrow packed with full force toward Enterprise. It didn't reach her as it collided with Enterprise's own arrow that vibrated the waters into a frenzy.

"Fine then… let's do this," she said dangerously serious. She pulled back her bowstring and fired a radiating shot with the same output as the last one.

The fake Enterprise responded the same with equal power.

Both of their arrows flew across the sky with their impact already destined.

"Now!" Shouted Enterprise as her arrow split into three fighter planes that caused the enemy arrow to miss the impact.

Enterprise was ready to dodge the attack, but her counterpart was one step ahead. Just like Enterprise, her arrow split into three fighter planes that sharply turned around to face Enterprise's three fighter planes.

"What are you…?" Enterprise dropped her jaw low when the three enemy planes turned back into arrows with the same velocity that it originally had. All three of her fighter planes were shot down as they failed in reaching the fake Enterprise.

Enterprise was left spellbound by this tactic that she herself had not yet reached. It shook the pillars of her strength that this imposter had mastered that elusive technique.

The fake Enterprise got ready for a final arrow assault as her fleet reserves were approaching their limit. She quickly became alerted by the presence of enemies on her ship.

"Ah!" Shouted Zuikaku as she swung her burning katana at the fake. Her eyes widened as the fake bent backward with the blade missing her by an inch. Zuikaku maintained her swings but they proved to be difficult without the use of her main hand that gripped her katana firmly. Her strikes had lost speed and were sadly too wide that put more swing time in between attacks.

The fake made no attempt to acknowledge that this was a struggle as she deflected each strike with her bow in a dance that the two engaged in.

Zuikaku grunted at the ferocity in the guard that the fake had. It wasn't even defensive rather, a defensive assault was more specific, in which she moved forward with her bow and intensity in her eyes. It further made Zuikaku accept the question of how much had Enterprise been holding back. She felt her katana get parried sideways that resulted in her getting kicked in the stomach and then being launched off the side.

"Zuikaku!" Cried Enterprise as her heart broke at the mistreatment of her friend.

The fake darted her eyes to see Belfast opposite her as she aimed her gun barrels at the fake.

There was no reaction as the fake deflected the incoming hail of bullets with her massive bow. "Enterprise! Shoot her now!" She yelled.

The force of the bullets didn't even force her back as the fake hunkered down to endure the assault.

Belfast's ammunition emptied as she stood there with a still breath.

"Weak... all of you," replied the fake as she drew her bow and fired.

"Belfast!" It all happened so fast, yet for the Eagle Union, it was in slow motion as she saw Belfast hold her arm gauntlets up and tank the shot that pushed her off the edge.

Something inside Enterprise snapped as her anger flared and her vision became fueled with utter hatred to this fake that stood before her. No longer spellbound, she felt like her arms had taken a mind of their own as they were already ready to launch an arrow as soon as Belfast hit the water. "You don't get to hurt… the people I love!"

This arrow was different than all the others. If the others were fueled for a specific purpose of halting the enemy, this arrow was designed to kill with absolute force with the intended purpose of destroying everything in its path. The bowstring tightened to the point of breaking as it was pushed to a limit that Enterprise never dared venture. It crackled with unchecked power that even caused the waves underneath it to cave in. "It's over!" She launched the arrow as it tore through the sky that even made the cracks in the sky trembled.

The fake Enterprise gazed at the mighty blow and accepted her fate. As her final atrocity, she picked up Purifier who had been knocked out for a while but started to finally stir. She picked her up by her sailor outfit as the siren struggled weakly. "Why? I gave you life..." weakly replied Purifier with genuine fear.

"Not by choice and you can take it back. Three birds, one stone," replied the fake Enterprise as she closed her eyes to accept the blow.

Purifier, not wanting to die, activated her shield in a faint attempt for survival. Sadly, the shield shattered upon the excessive blow of the Eagle Union that angrily tried to engulf them in a show of radiating blinding light.

The others were horrified when they heard the screams of the Siren pierce the world of the mirror sea as Enterprise's attack had no longer maintained the form of an arrow but that of a beam of burning energy.

Enterprise's heart stopped for a brief second as she and her counterpart gave each other one final look. Regardless of their distance, it felt like they were merely a few feet apart as both soon recoiled back simultaneously. The next thing that she felt, was a burning hot pain that appeared all over her right arm. The instantaneous pain was only dwarfed by her rig carving itself openly as metal and fabric filled her vision.

Hornet and Shoukaku were statue levels of shock as they witness Enterprise get blown back violently as if she took a hit from something.

"Sis!" Cried a panicked Hornet who dashed to catch her before she hit the water.

At the same time, the fake Enterprise had sustained the same mirrored damage as her with her right arm getting torched and lacerations appearing all over her shoulder and arm. She lay motionless on her fleet runway that had been carved open by Enterprise's attack.

Purifier's condition was unknown as she was thrown into a crack in the purple void that resided in the sky that closed afterward. However, one could only speculate the unreal damage that she sustained from being the front victim of the attack.

The mirror sea soon died out, and the surrounding area had returned to normal

Zuikaku and Belfast floated on the water and the shouts of Hornet had brought them back to reality. They both stood up to gaze in horror at the state of Enterprise who laid in her sister's arms with a vacant spasming look of unimaginable pain that rendered the strongest Eagle Union to an emotionally shot and broken girl.

"Ent! Keep your eyes open! Damn it!" Cried Hornet as her older sister couldn't take the pain and passed out. Hornet haggardly inhaled between loud cries, and she radioed the one message she thought she would never make. "USS Hornet, r-requesting emergency assistance upon d-docking… USS Ent… Enterprise… has sustained critical injuries… I repeat… USS Enterprise has sustained critical injuries!"

Hornet picked up her sister in her state of panic while she unknowingly left behind Enterprise's captain's hat that floated on the water.

**I had a blast and a tough time making this chapter. I feel sad that I left it in a dire mood like this one, but all will be revealed soon. I know that I shouldn't say this, but if you have read my previous works, you will know that I don't really kill off characters that frequently so… no, no one's dying! I also hope that I managed to make Purifier resemble more like her in-game version as in the anime she's literally only in episode 10 for like one minute. Funny enough, I started really getting into the game around the Hololive event where I read the story and was introduced to the character of Purifier as Purity. She was so adorable and dorky that It hurt me that I had to do her like that. The next chapter might take longer to come out as I reached the point of no return where I want to make sure my ideas are fully formed and planned out. It's still going to be a love triangle at its core with a little wrench thrown in there. I'll also update my Neptunia fic soon as I admit that I have pushed it aside.**

**Also, I will keep improving on the Sirens as they will be a key point in the story, and I felt like it wasn't my best work. I was kind of left there while reading the backstories on them that I told myself that these are pretty much the Vex from Destiny. So, there's a lot to unpack there to give them justice in this story.**

**Thank you all for reading this chapter and I'll see you'll in the next one!**


	5. The Bonded Seas

**Chapter 5: The Bonded Seas**

Enterprise's world felt fleeting and crudely cut as she wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness during the trip back to Azur lane. The flares of the sun caused her to shut her eyes during her moments of consciousness, and the rare scenes she could observe due to her searing pain was her little sister's eyes stained with tears and fear. She weakly turned her head to see Belfast looking equally as worried as Hornet while she carried a body in her arms.

Enterprise weakly locked her gaze on her counterpart that was the body being carried by Belfast. The same level of pain had been inflicted on her counterpart. That was all she was allowed as she passed out indefinitely.

**(Sometime later)**

The Azur lane base had been devoid of all joyful activity, as a majority of the shipgirls had made their way to the docks when the uncontainable rumor that Enterprise had been wounded inevitably came out.

A medical team composed of Vestal and repair assistants were on standby. Vestal's heart filled with worry as she spotted Hornet and the others quickly closing in. "Cleveland, they're here!" She called to the short blond-haired Eagle Union who was with her.

"I see!" The blond-haired girl turned around to stare at the slowly increasing crowd that had formed in the knowledge that Enterprise had been critically injured. "I need you all to stand back, please," she said to all the shipgirls that also contained Laffey, Javelin, Ayanami, Z23, San Diego, Portland, Unicorn, and Hammann to name a few.

"What!? You can't do that! We're as worried about Enterprise as you!" Loudly Shouted Hammann.

"If you are, then, you, like everyone else needs to give us space that she will need," replied Cleveland with a sigh.

"But- but!" She found herself being picked up by Denver and Montpelier as they hooked their arms around Hammann's arms.

"Don't worry, big sis, we'll run crowd control to make sure no one gets too rowdy," replied both of Cleveland's sisters as they moved Hammann back with the crowd.

Cleveland thanked them and joined up with Vestal.

"Okay, they have docked. Hurry everyone!" Said the medical repair ship as she signaled for the wheeled stretcher to follow her.

Hornet was the first one ahead of everyone else with Enterprise in her arms. The look in Hornet's eyes expressed that she wasn't all that there. She was, for a lack of a better word, emotionally drained from the events of today. She spotted Vestal and Cleveland coming at her. "Please… she needs medical attention," she said with sad, weak, and vacant eyes.

Both Vestal and Cleveland turned pale at the sight of Enterprise, whose hand had been burned black and covered with deep lacerations. The Eagle Union's coat had been obliterated from the right side, and her shirt barely held on to her chest.

"W-who could have done this to her?" Questioned Vestal while she prepped the stretcher next to Hornet and tried her hardest to not waver on her medical duties as a result of her emotions.

Hornet looked in no way ready to respond as she carefully dropped her sister on the stretcher.

"The answer you seek is right here, Vestal… of course, we will need to attend to her as well before any more questions can be answered," replied Belfast.

Cleveland recoiled in shock at the mysterious, wild-haired girl that resembled a lot like Enterprise. "What the heck?!"

Vestal scrunched up her face yet walked forward with a professional air to her. "As Miss Belfast said, we need to attend to this patient first," replied the medical repair ship as she called for another stretcher.

"H-how are you not fazed by this?!" Shouted Cleveland.

"My medical duties come first before anything else. The shellshock that this girl looks like Enterprise means little right now. Her wounds are what's important to me right now more than the context of what happened."

They placed her in the stretcher and when they did, the wild-haired girl grunted awake from her unconsciousness.

Everyone flinched at the wild look in the girl's eyes as she stretched out her good arm to escape from the confines of the stretcher.

Belfast intervened with an iron grip and an iron gaze that was directed to the pseudo-Eagle Union. Her grip wrestled with the weak wrist of the wild-haired girl. "Do you know where you are right now?" She spoke sternly to the crazed pseudo-Eagle Union.

She did not respond but she did give Belfast a deadly look that would have made Belfast falter if she didn't harden her nerves beforehand; she was the spitting image of Enterprise after all.

"Your wounds are quite severe, and we will attend to them. You have no say on this matter, and afterward, we will interrogate you for questions… do you understand?" She spoke calmly.

The wild-haired girl's gaze softened in defeat as she lacked the strength in her current condition to express her disagreement.

"I think she understands. We have preparations to be made but first, Enterprise is the top priority. For this one, she will need to be attended immediately afterword, and have someone on guard to make sure she keeps her good behavior," she commanded with strong authority.

"Do not worry about Enterprise's health, the care of the Yorktown-class is my primary job, and I will do everything in my power to give her a good recovery," said Vestal as she ordered the medical assistants to help her wheel the two Enterprises to the medical wing.

Hornet didn't bother to talk to anyone else as she followed Vestal, half-mindlessly with her sister's health being the only thing on her mind.

When Cleveland's light panic-attack at seeing a double Enterprise had faded away, she uneasily walked to Belfast. "Talk to me, Belfast, is this girl an enemy?" She asked for clarification.

Belfast sighed as she allowed herself to remove her iron front. "Yes, she engaged Enterprise with the intent to kill her. I can't say what kind of Siren she is but can certainly say she should be classed as one for the time being. There are questions to be answered like how she managed to harm Enterprise."

All the shipgirls that had been yearning to get closer had their wish granted when they spotted the state of Enterprise as she was wheeled close to them in passing. Even Denver and Montpelier stopped focusing on the crowd to have an eye full at the injured state of Enterprise.

"M-miss Enterprise," softly spoke Unicorn when she laid eyes on the woman that saved her life. Her tears had poured out hard and fast as she held on to her U-Chan, while Javelin tried to calm her down with a hug.

They then got a good look at the wild-haired girl that made everyone whisper and recoil in fright.

"Umm… are my eyes messing with me or are there two Enterprises?" Replied San Diego with a confused look.

"Your eyes are fine… but this one… her hair isn't that pretty as Enterprise," replied Laffey with a tired tone to her voice, which wasn't to say that she wasn't surprised to see this oddity.

The wild-haired Enterprise struggled with her diminished strength to break free of the restraints that they secured her in. She looked at the shipgirls' faces that brought a mental pain that surged through her head as if she was being forced to look into a long-lost old photo. She looked at Unicorn who brought her the most pain as she frantically looked away to hide her face from them; while this also eased the mental pain that coursed through her mind.

"This is my fault… that Enterprise was put into this state," replied Cleveland when the two Enterprises were no longer visible.

"Miss Cleveland, this is certainly not your fault. The Siren, Purifier, was the unknown ringleader of this operation. She lured us in with fake distress merely to express her sinister newfound power that failed… I suppose that can be the silver lining," said the maid tiredly.

"Please tell me everything that went down from the point that I gave you'll the coordinates," urged Cleveland as the two walked away from the dock to where Enterprise was going to be stationed.

This just left Shoukaku and Zuikaku alone as neither of them had said much in the way of the conversation. Zuikaku had been gazing at the Captain's hat she had in her hands that belonged to Enterprise.

Shoukaku leaned over to observe her little sister's deep expression. "Zui, this is Enterprise… she'll make a quick recovery, and then you'll be able to personally give her back her hat," she said in hopes that she could brighten the mood of her little sister.

"How can you say that, Shou?" Replied Zuikaku as she felt lost in her own head. She kept replaying the scene of the attack in her head in a loop from the details her sister gave her, and every time, she couldn't figure out how Enterprise had gotten hurt. She only wished she could have seen the attack herself instead of being knocked out for a minute. The one thing that she constantly came back to was the burned arms that they both shared. Her mind then recollected her about the bullet wound on Enterprise's arm that made her eyes widened with the only explanation being a wild theory that had cemented itself.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Asked Shoukaku, who was still caught up about her sister's previous question.

"I… I'm sorry, Shou but I need to talk to that repair ship quickly before anything else," she said as she quickly ran out of the docks.

"Zui! You're so mean when you don't tell your older sister anything," she pouted. Now she was all alone, but she knew one thing that she could do that would make Zuikaku cheerful. "Hey, everyone! You all over there with your mouths hanging out, I have a little job that will take all of us to do. If you help me, I'll humor your ears with the details of what happened to Enterprise," she said with a friendly tone.

As this turn of events would soon engulf the whole base, they didn't have to think twice about running over to Shoukaku to assist in anything if It meant shedding light on the weirdest thing they've seen. Not even Denver and Montpelier resisted the urge as they technically finished the job, they said they would do for their older sister.

**(Enterprise)**

Enterprise stood in a vast sea where no signs of anything else stood visible. She felt affected by a calm sensation that made her mind numb at the context as to her being here. The warm rays of the sun and gentle sounds of waves made her never want to leave this sea. This was quite rare for her as she never experienced a sea or ocean that made her feel this happy.

"Enterprise…" came a soft and sisterly voice that kicked-started her senses.

She looked around frantically until her vision settled on an older woman with long pinkish-white hair and soft blue eyes. "York… town?" She uttered as she slowly reached out with her right hand. Enterprise's memory of the event that she last remembered quickly flooded through her, and she understood that this hand of hers had been rendered beyond functional.

"Good… your memories are returning…" she said happily while her younger sister stood in disbelief at her recovered hand.

"My hand… no, this doesn't make sense," she whispered to no one.

"You shouldn't worry about your arm right now, that can be left for later," replied her older sister.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Frightenly asked the strongest Eagle Union.

"Does that scare you?" Asked Yorktown with a sad smile.

Enterprise did not respond as her eyes drifted behind Yorktown to see a tropical land that strangely called to her. If this sea felt like a peaceful place, then that land was a utopia constructed from skilled unknown origins that knew her better than she knew herself. She found herself moving forward to it with baby steps as if she forgot how to glide across the water. She was then stopped by a hand. "York…?"

Yorktown gravely shook her head at her younger sister. "Don't focus on that, focus on me. It might look beautiful since it takes the inner desires of the one looking at it into account but… it is a one-way trip."

"York… let go of me," replied Enterprise as her mind grew numb with the only desire to reach the warm sand that looked inviting.

Yorktown became serious and held her sister in place with both of her hands on her wrists. "No… one day you will end up here again, but that will only be on your own terms, after a life filled with wondrous adventures and joy," sternly said Yorktown.

"How can you say that? What about you?!" Venomously spoke Enterprise. Her emotions were not her own, fully, as the enticing aura of that small tropical island made her say and do things that she wouldn't do with a rational mind.

Yorktown looked hurt. "Are you saying that I didn't get to have a wondrous and joyous life? I saw the world; I have friends who still remember me and live their lives accordingly because of me. And I have two wonderful sisters that I was happy to be a part of their lives. I have you… who left me with the greatest peace of mind that everyone I loved would be taken care of. My Enterprise, the little Eagle Union that could," she said happily that made Enterprise break down in her arms.

"Sister… I'm sorry… my selfishness got the better of me," she said after she regained some sense.

"I do not fault you for wanting to finally rest, Enterprise, but can you truly be at peace if you couldn't give Hornet a proper goodbye?"

"Hornet? I need to go back…" She turned around and felt petrified by the vast landscape of water that laid before her. The water on the horizon looked icy cold and angry with frequent waves, and the clouds in the sky were gray. There was also this dangerous presence that would give anyone second thoughts on venturing out there. She then felt Yorktown rest her head on her shoulders.

"Getting cold feet, I wouldn't blame you with those waters. Remember… why do you sail across the dangerous seas? Why do you fight battle after battle with the risk of death? Why did you refuse to let others share your burden? Why do you decide to live in a watery world that brings you so much pain?"

"F-for my friends… for the people that I… love…" Enterprise's heart could swell at the word 'love'. To her, it was a strange word to replace 'friend' yet held the same level of devotion- possibly greater than the former. Her eyes enlarged as a dark outline in the shape of a woman appeared a few feet away from her with a hand extended out.

"York, who is that?" Asked the Eagle Union. She didn't feel this entity to be threatening, yet the fact that she couldn't put a face on her made her uneasy.

Yorktown continued to rest her chin on her little sister's shoulder as she dawned a confused expression. "Hmm… I'm not sure. I know I'm me, and I know that you are you, but this third person can't be identified. It must be your brain telling you that it can't decide who they are only that they are special enough that they are personally here to take you back."

"My brain?"

"Right, you are sleeping right now and maybe this is the best way you decided on dealing with your near-death experience. I am happy with that fact as none of this really matters except for the reason why you want to return. Who knows, this unknown person might be the big deciding factor for you," she said with a giggle.

Enterprise held out her hand and connected it with the unknown entity that made her feel as if she was flying.

Her flying experience ended quickly as she felt heavy, tired, and confined to a body that didn't have the option of great mobility. She felt encased in soft pillows that begged her to open her eyes to a white medical room. "Am I home…?" she said with a dry mouth.

A sharp gasp of air reached her ears as she moved her eyes to see Belfast looking at her with wavering eyes. "G-Good morning, Miss Enterprise," she said with her strongest attempt to sound elegant and strong.

Enterprise then looked to the left to see Zuikaku with a tearful bright smile.

"Ah… Enty, this is the greatest of mornings now that you finally awoke," said Zuikaku, strong, yet adorably sensitive as she continued to wipe tears away from her face.

"Bel… fast? Zui… kaku?" She could see that they both had their eyes stained red. Belfast appeared to maintain her elegant smile through this ordeal, and Zuikaku wasn't shy at leaving her emotions out like an open book.

"Huh… is Ent awake?! Ugh, you guys left me sleeping on this awful chair without telling me anything!" Responded an angry third and equally worried voice that Enterprise had trouble putting a name on.

The Eagle Union got her answer when a third face had squeezed into her vision and stood between Zuikaku and Belfast.

"Hornet…" responded Enterprise with her heart feeling weightless.

"Yes, it is us, Enterprise. Please, conserve your energy," said the maid.

"Oh… sis… you had me worried there for a second," said Hornet with tear-stained eyes that did not help her laid back personality she had been going for.

"I'm sorry for… making you worry about me… especially you… sister…" She forced her voice to declare those words, even though her vocal cords craved water.

Hornet felt like bursting into more tears that would have resembled a water fountain for it was not every day that she would hear her older sister actually calling her 'sister'. "Damn it, Ent, stop trying to sound cool. You're my sister and of course, I'm going to worry about you," she said with a bright sunny grin that pushed her tears away.

Enterprise weakly chuckled to the three happy faces that brought so much light and life to her harsh world. "Wa… ter… is there water… around?" She asked as her mouth could no longer live without it.

"Water? You got it, Enty." Zuikaku jumped across the room where a stand with a jug stood. Her hand reached for it only to connect with another one that dawned a white glove. It turned out that both Zuikaku and Belfast had thoughtlessly bolted over to the jug of water, and they were now engaged in a stalemate. They quietly wrestled for the jug and the one cup of water as they stared daggers at each other.

"Come on, passing maid… let go," she said with a crooked grin that felt appropriate for the maid.

"I rather not. Maybe you should let go and rest your wounded hand."

Zuikaku smirked dryly at the maid who clearly saw this as a struggle for the Eagle Union's affection, even after the maid had clearly stated that she didn't want to pursue her feelings. "Fat chance."

"Hey what's taking so long? Give me that?!" Shouted an angry Hornet who grabbed the cup of water from the two.

They both noticed that they had spilled water on the ground in their struggle that they both cleaned it up since it was the least they could do. "Oh, so thinking of joining the love race again?" Said Zuikaku with snarky expression to Belfast in a quiet manner.

"Stop being delusional. It's only natural to attend to my friend," coldly stated Belfast.

"Hmph, I was already getting the water, and your pulls spoke more than just a friend, and more like you wanting her to look at you like some merciful goddess making it rain in a hot desert," remarked Zuikaku.

Over where Hornet was, the blond Eagle Union placed the cup of water near her older sister's mouth as Enterprise took big gulps from it. Hornet then cleaned her sister's mouth when she was done.

"Thank you… how… long have I been out?" Asked the Eagle Union.

"It is the day after the incident. I am rather shocked that you came to so quickly. Shocked… but happy, Enterprise," informed Belfast who sat back on her chair that had been placed rather close to the recovering Eagle Union.

"Did I die?" She asked bluntly with a held breath.

Everyone in the room gasped sharply with mixed emotions of anger, fear, and shock.

"What?! No, what kind of preposterous question is that? You were admitted to the medical wing and placed under heavy pain medication. Your vitals have been low, but… nothing certainly of concern like your heart suddenly stopping," said the royal maid sternly and a little offended.

"Ent, don't joke like that, okay? I… don't even want to think about that," replied the younger Eagle Union.

"We've all been here either together or in shifts, and nothing crazy like you flatlining happened," said Zuikaku with her arms crossed.

Enterprise vacantly looked at the ceiling as she processed this information. "So… it was a dream?" She spoke with unsureness if she really did get to talk to her sister again. She forced herself to get up from the bed with what small strength she had.

"What are you doing?!" Shouted Zuikaku and Hornet in unison.

"Enterprise don't…" tried and failed the royal maid that tried to put her head back to the pillow.

Enterprise didn't care what they had to say and only stopped when she could inspect her arm. Her right arm had been bandaged up all the way up to her shoulder, and the sudden movements had caused her white bandages to be stained with fresh, red blood.

Belfast rested her gloved hand on the back of the Eagle Union's neck that made the Eagle Union's hairs stand up by how tender her touch felt. She was then gently pushed back onto the pillows. "Enterprise, I beg you to please stop moving. Your body is numb right now, but the pain will soon hit you ten-fold if you cause your body any more stress."

The blond Eagle Union stomped her foot on the ground. "Dang it, sis. I'm going to get Vestal quickly to help seal it up again," she moved past everyone and out the door.

It wasn't a full minute later when Vestal came into the room. She looked lost in thought, and more like she was going through the motions of her everyday medical duties. Her attention came back when she spotted the fresh blood that stained the white bandages. "Enterprise! Your body won't heal properly if you don't rest," worriedly shouted the medical repair ship.

Enterprise lowered her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry..." She was unable to argue with the medical ship that had overlooked all her countless wounds. Of course, this one took the cake.

"I'm going to put you under for a while. Just so that I can undo the bandages better, is that alright?" Asked Vestal that enacted a sad response from the other three.

Enterprise knew she had no actual say in the matter because of her state, and Vestal was being courteous so, she agreed to at least take away the guilt of Vestal doing it against her will.

"Thank you," she injected a serum into an IV that Enterprise had just grown aware of that connected to her other arm. Since she had become aware of the IV, she also noticed that she had on a black tank top with gray sweatpants that were hidden under the bedsheets. Her outfit change posed a serious question of who undressed and redressed her. As much as she wanted to further ask this question, her eyes grew heavy and she fell back to a rhythmic breathing slumber.

"Enterprise..." spoke the maid with emotions that dared forced her to lash out at the harsh world for rendering the woman she loved to this state.

"Zuikaku had looked away with hurt in her heart. She didn't say anything, but she had her reasons for wanting Vestal to put her under.

Once Vestal had finished, she looked at all three. "This is good that she's already gained consciousness. Her body could do with some more sleep for tomorrow's surgery, so think of this as a quick nap for her, and it would only last for an hour or two at the most. That's plenty of time to explain the serious situation we find ourselves in," said Vestal.

"Vestal, what are you referring too?" Asked Belfast.

Vestal's posture straightened and she stared at them. "Well… after I treated her wound yesterday, Zuikaku came to me with a pressing theory on how Enterprise was injured."

"Huh, what theory?" Asked Hornet who looked a little defensive that this wasn't shared with her.

Zuikaku stepped forward and sat next to Enterprise's bed. "Hornet, I'm sorry that I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything to you because, at the time, I thought I was losing it. And you already seemed lost that I figured you needed space. I talked to Vestal about Enty's bullet wound on her left arm…"

"What about it?" Said Hornet.

"We didn't pay attention due to the chaos that unfolded with Enty, but that wild-haired look-alike has the same wound on the same arm. Also, does anyone else find it weird that Enty's entire arm got torched from out of nowhere?"

Belfast searched for a possible answer, yet she could only come up with two unproven ones. "Yes, I found myself asking that very question too. My original conclusion was that it was connected to some secret attack from the fake, however, I didn't have any solid evidence of it. My second conclusion was that Enterprise had become too careless and the force of her attack had damaged her too, like a gun that backfired…"

Hornet aggressively shook her head. "That's crazy! I saw her fire her arrow and she looked fine when it fully launched out of her bow."

"And I can agree with you on that, Hornet. I didn't mean that my hunches were sound conclusions," said the maid.

"I think the question we should be asking is why does her wound look similar to that mysterious girl's wound," stated Vestal.

Hornet forcefully closed her eyes to recollect the event. "They did get blown away at the same time- wait! Are you saying that they somehow shared the same injury?" Said Hornet with wide eyes.

Zuikaku nodded. "That's what I have concluded. When I first saw her, she attacked me with that wound already there. Then Enty showed up to save me with the same wound on her arm. She didn't say how she got it but from the looks of it, she probably encountered that faker earlier."

Vestal took the lead of this conversation. "Yes, I believe this critical fact to be a good reason for this situation. I don't know how or why, but they both have shared the same accident. This is the theory that Zuikaku had shared with me. At first, the bullet wound that she told me about did make me listen to her theory but then… my eyes were open when I examined the wounds of the mystery woman that you brought. Her wounds were an exact match to Enterprise's wound; lacerations, burn intensity, and how far it reached to her shoulders were all the same. Here is a photo that I took for record-keeping while they were being cleaned up and getting medical aid." Vestal pulled out a photo from a clipboard that she had on her person. The photo was that of Enterprise's wounded arm before the bandages. She then pulled out another photo that looked like a copy to the untrained eye. The one difference in the photos was that one could clearly see short hair on one, while the second had their hair going past their shoulder.

"Okay, I'm starting to get chills here," said Hornet with increased worry at the meaning of all this.

"Vestal, all these facts do hold some ground, but there is a chance that this could all be coincidence… very disturbing coincidence," finished Belfast.

"Fine then, let's all take a walk, shall we?" said the medical ship.

Everyone reluctantly left the room and walked a few doors from where they started until they stopped in front of one that was used specifically for prisoners of war that were injured while taken hold. The big difference was that there was a small room with a one-way mirror that connected to the main room.

Everyone gasped as they finally got to see the wild-haired Enterprise again after Vestal had taken her into her care.

The fake Enterprise was confined in a medical bed with a monitor close to her. She was asleep and looked like she hadn't moved for some time.

"Just as I figured. Look at her arm," said Vestal who remained steadfast in her conclusion.

All three of them could see that the imposter Enterprise was in a deep sleep and her arm had been stained with fresh blood.

"When we attended to her injuries, she put up a fierce resistance that kept me from aiding her. I took the liberty of injecting her with a heavy dose that put her out like a light. She hasn't moved a muscle since then, and her wounds have opened up for no reason." Vestal turned her tired gaze at all three of them to see what they would say.

Both Belfast and Hornet were still reluctant to accept this while all strong evidence from the medical photos and the stained blood pointed to Zuikaku's solid theory.

"It was hard for me to accept this too since it feels like something out of a nightmare, but this is the reality. I can stick a needle in this one to draw some blood, and we can have the definitive proof that this is real when we check on Enterprise to see blood dripping from the same area.

"Come on you two! We live in a world where Sirens can control and manipulate time and space, and this is hard to believe?!" Shouted Zuikaku.

"It just... doesn't make sense. She was aiming for Ent all along with the intent to kill her, then why didn't she just kill herself?" Demanded Hornet.

"She fought back like a woman who wanted to live, especially when we got on her ship," replied Belfast.

"Yes, I don't understand either. I feel numb just thinking about if she did allow us to hit her," replied Zuikaku.

"You were all correct to bring her back here to us. If she died out there, then Enterprise would have followed afterward," said the medical repair ship.

"That was Belfast's intuition, really. Even though I had evidence to back me up, my head was lost in Enty's health. It wasn't until I got back here that my eyes were opened," weakly replied Zuikaku.

"I just… couldn't leave her out there. She was in pain and angry. I would never wish an enemy of mine to die slowly and with agony. The only thing that crossed my mind at that moment was giving her a quick death, however, I couldn't do it while she looked at me with all that hatred. The face of Enterprise was there even if it was contorted with hatred. I decided on saving her- right there- in the hopes of finding answers to her existence and what became of the black mental cube with thorough interrogation," said Belfast.

"You did the right thing, Belfast. All we can do right now is wait for her to come to, and demand answers," said Vestal.

They all silently watched the Pseudo-Eagle Union who remained unmoved from her slumber

Later, Vestal had given the order of having one guest limit in Enterprise's room so she wouldn't be overwhelmed when she awoke. Belfast agreed to take the first watch much to the discomfort of Zuikaku.

The brown-haired Sakura Empire and the blond Eagle Union decided on grabbing some food to take back to the room. They walked back from the restaurant they had purchased food from with noticeable looks of compassion and sad gazes from the other shipgirls.

Hornet's mood had shifted due to the constant pity gazes she had been receiving. "Pfft, I don't need them all looking at me like I'm some wounded puppy." She stopped walking which made Zuikaku almost collide with her. "My sister isn't going to die! I know that most of you are at a loss for words and don't know what to say to make me feel better. Well, here's some advice. Don't say anything! Let my sister rest, and you all keep living life. That's what my sister would want from everyone!" She then turned a street corner that detached them from everyone else who took in those words.

"That was... something," said Zuikaku with astonishment.

"I don't beat around the bush, and I rather lay out all my feelings in the open to let everyone know where I stand." She stopped again that provoked Zuikaku into another collision that she managed to evade.

Hornet struggled internally with her emotions that were expressed with her wavering eyes. "The thing is... yeah when Ent got hurt. A part of me broke down. I never got into a state like that before. Not even with Yorktown's death did I balled my eyes out. Sure, I silently grieved, yet accepted my oldest sister's passing. But… with Ent, her vacant eyes… her eyes looked back at me, and I saw Yorktown."

Zuikaku could see tears rolling down the Eagle Union's face that was masked by her tilted head and hair.

"She was a double amputee from her legs. She never expressed sorrow over it and continued to warmly smile at the world but deep down, I knew that the fact that she couldn't protect the ones she loved hurt her the most. I don't even know if Vestal can even fully heal my sister's arm, and maybe no number of bandages and treatment can stop this gut feeling that Ent might have to part ways with that arm."

Zuikaku lowered the bag of food she had in her hand and walked up to the blond Eagle Union. Without saying anything, she brought her in for a hug.

"What are you..." Hornet stopped as she felt rather safe in the hug that evidently, resulted in Hornet's face being buried in the Sakura Empire's chest.

"Shou does this to me whenever I run into a hardship I cannot overcome so easily. Miss Hornet, your sister is a fighter who understands why she fights. Maybe in her most private moments, she thinks differently, but I don't think she can ever fully allow herself to give up on any battle. Her recovery is another battle just like all the others. Sometimes, it can be simple to give up on something when you associate if it brings you pain or not. There are good and noble deeds that accumulate pain, and there are bad ones that don't. Your sister will always take the path of most resistance If it means everyone can keep smiling. That's why I and everyone else respect her, and I know that this injury will be overcome because luck is on her side."

Hornet's expression had elevated into a weak smile. "Eh, yeah, she is stubborn... but I guess right now it's a good thing. Damn it... this isn't me in the slightest. All this sulking about while my sister is doing her hardest to get better. Let's go and give her the support she needs."

"Yes, the only way to go is forward, " happily declared Zuikaku.

After Hornet had calmed down, she noticed a ship come into view from the ocean. "Zui! It's that other Ent's ship!"

Zuikaku's blood froze at the possible threat that could befall the base. "I have a bad feeling about this," said the Sakura Empire. They wasted no time in making their way to the docks. "How can this be? Please tell me that the ship doesn't have an autopilot or something," said Zuikaku.

"No, it can't be that. The ships damaged to the point that it shouldn't even be moving!"

They reached the docks where they encountered Cleveland with other shipgirls standing in awe at the damaged vessel.

At the top of the damaged ship stood Shoukaku with a boastful wave; It wasn't every day that a Sakura Empire would stand on top of the USS Enterprise. "Hey, there everyone! I took the liberty of fetching the wrecked ships from battle," she said casually. Javelin, Ayanami, Laffey, and Z23 were seen behind her holding a damaged rig that they threw to the side of the ship.

The rig activated and materialized as another copy of the USS Enterprise parted the waters in the dock.

If Zuikaku and Hornet had any remnant of denial to the shared fate of both Enterprises, then it was quickly blown away as both ships damaged hulls looked exactly the same, down to the curvature of the bent metal.

Cleveland, after knowing the details from Belfast on what went down with the SOS call, stood livid. "Hey, Shoukaku! What were you thinking bringing the enemy ship back here with the ship's owner also here?! We're going to have a disaster if she gets her hands on it."

Shoukaku evaded the stern lecture with a roll of her eyes. "Do you propose that we left this ship out in the sea where it could be stripped for parts by the sirens? Or maybe Iron Blood would secretly squirrel it away for unofficial research. They do have a shady nature about them after all."

Z23 frantically burst with rage. "Hey! How dare you shamefully call Iron blood out with shady nature that is truly just privacy to our projects!?"

This was left ignored by Shoukaku as she dropped down to stare at the shorter Eagle Union shipgirl that weighed the words she had been told.

"This ship being here can cause danger to all the others on base."

"That seems to be your favorite thing to say, Miss Cleveland," she jabbed with sarcasm. "I didn't take this expedition lightly as your more honorable fellow Eagle Union helped me push this clearly out of commissioned vessel to shore. I also brought Enterprise's ship as well as I can imagine that repairing your senior is of the most importance, " she said with a passive-aggressive smile that rendered Cleveland from fighting her.

"Shou!" Shouted Zuikaku and Hornet.

"Zui! Forgive your older sister for being gone all night. I took the liberty of bringing back Enterprise's ship, which was not an easy task. Although, it was certainly easier than the orders our elders would give us." She laughed at her own joke that went ignored by the two.

"You brought my sister's vessel back..." Hornet without thinking wrapped her arms around the older Crane sister.

"Ugh!" Shoukaku tensed up as she wasn't expecting a thankful greeting of this level. She could feel the Blond Eagle tremble with sorrowful happiness. The older Crane sister had her hands up in the air to avoid them touching Hornet, but that changed when Zuikaku gave her a look that said to humor the blond-haired girl in her time of need.

Shoukaku pouted and swallowed her personal issues, and tenderly patted the back of the girl with her fingertips.

"You're amazing! All of you are amazing!" Cried Hornet to the Eagle Union shipgirls and all the others that experienced a restless night to bring her sister's vessel back.

"Sis, you really are amazing," declared Zuikaku.

Shoukaku felt overly excited at the praise "Oh, Zui! I knew that this would bring a smile on your face. Plus, we've gained some friend points that show that the Sakura Empire is always there to help," she said happily. She wasn't about to say that doing this only to make Zuikaku happy was seventy percent of her motivation.

"We should put a sticker… on Enterprise's ship… so to know which ones hers," replied Laffey as she gazed over the ship with her friends.

**(Belfast)**

While Hornet and Zuikaku were out, the head royal maid sat next to Enterprise with her gaze never leaving the white-haired Eagle Union.

Her eyes appeared to be far off as she fought with her internal struggles of the heart. She allowed her heart to win this internal battle that resulted in her planting her hand on the freshly bandaged arm. "Forgive me for not being able to protect you. I should have been stronger and realize that there was something amiss when I saw those fighter planes."

Enterprise noticeably stirred, and slowly her eyes opened to focus on the royal maid. "Bel... no more sleeping aid," she joked dryly that made the surprised maid giggle.

"I agree. It is rather horrendous to keep dosing you with a sleeping aid. Don't worry, Vestal will have to get through me if she desires to do it again." She cutely giggled.

The Eagle Union couldn't describe this pleasant sound from the maid, only that it made her heart flutter briefly. "Belfast, I'm glad that you weren't hurt from that arrow. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt."

"The arrow merely pushed me back, and my gauntlets absorbed the blow with only minor bruising in my wrists. A maid should always be equipped for the direst of situations."

"Right... that's what I like about you, Bel..." smiled Enterprise.

Belfast's cheeks turned red at the praise. "Your words fill me with joy. However, do know that I'm in the same boat as you. I am devastated that you were hurt, and my heart fears what could have happened if you died, Enterprise, so don't allow me to ever find that out," she said with sorrowful eyes.

Guilt had crept into her mind at her dream that she had in which she was ready to pass on from this life filled with war and the constant harsh ocean. "How foolish of me to make you all worry."

"It wasn't your fault. You responded in accordance to your heart when she pushed us out of her ship."

"Yeah... if only I knew that our fates were bound together," said Enterprise with a heavy sigh.

Belfast widened her eyes. "Enterprise... you know of that?"

"Yeah... from the look on your face, maybe Vestal or someone put the dots together. I wasn't blind to notice the bullet wound that her planes inflicted on me to be on her arm as well. I didn't have anything to conclude to our fates being bonded until I shot my arrow. Belfast, I know my arrows well enough to understand their impact. That arrow was a manifestation of what's in my heart and when I fired it, I desired for that arrow to eradicate every piece of her. I desired it to be strong enough to take me out. The searing pain that appeared on my arm harbored my intense hatred toward her, that was the moment where I understood we were connected. And I understand that she's still alive after all my struggle," replied Enterprise with a defeated sigh.

"Forgive me, Enterprise. Zuikaku was the first to notice it when she mentioned the bullet wound that you both shared. This was a detail that I did not take into account. Also, Vestal confirmed it based on the exact match of both wounds, and the fact that she's in this very building in a sleeping state, yet her bandages became bloody when you stirred earlier.

"The Sirens... really have no bounds when it comes to their wickedness, " spoke Enterprise. She couldn't deny that her life was now connected to a Siren that shared her face, voice, combat abilities, and probably more left to be discovered.

"Are you so certain that she may be a Siren? It was chaotic in that mirror sea, but she seemed to hate Purifier with great aggression," said Belfast.

"Purifier did show her colors today with how she tossed aside her allies. Maybe this is how Sirens operate in the end or maybe she was collecting Purifier's betrayal in blood," said the Eagle Union.

"Any number of reasons could be valid. She's here now, and she will be interrogated when she makes a recovery. I suppose she can tell us what happened to the black mental cube."

"The cube's gone, Bel. It chipped when I hit it with my arrow, then shattered, that resulted in that black smoke coming out. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it felt like a wisdom cube."

Belfast gasped in shock. "What?! But... how...? When we analyzed it before, it didn't show any responses or similarities to that nature."

"I'm at a loss, too. I know that it's gone now- replaced by her..."

"We will find a way to separate your fate from her. She will be placed on lockdown with on the clock guards to make sure she doesn't escape or hurt herself."

Enterprise lost the ability to smile at the comforting words from the royal maid. She now faced an enemy unlike any other that had the ability to hurt her with just a self-infliction wound as a response.

The door opened, and Zuikaku, Hornet, and Shoukaku entered the room. Belfast felt compelled to recite Vestal's one guest limit rule but decided on not complying.

"Sis, it's good to see that those sleeping drugs aren't keeping you out cold," replied Hornet as she took a chair to sit close to her sister's bed.

"I rather go to sleep on my own terms as well. Of course, I don't feel any pain now due to the drugs they gave me, and that might change later when it comes back," she said with tired acceptance of the fact.

"Just rest, for now, Ent. Vestal can repair any damage, and you'll be good as new when it's all done," said Hornet with a grin.

"You think so?" Asked Enterprise with a sad look at her bandaged arm that she couldn't even move or feel anything from. Even though she was sad, she had a small hint of hope that was realized by the encouraged words of her younger sister.

Hornet held her breath and exhaled it with a new-found burning determination. "Of course, I do. Luck is in your blood after all. In fact, do you remember that one time we bought mystery sandwiches?"

Enterprise scoffed lightly at that wild time. "I do. As a matter of fact, I remembered that you dragged me out of bed in the morning because you wanted a specific sandwich from a pool of unlabeled ones."

"Hehe, and what else happened? Come on, say it," said Hornet who had found her true smile back.

Her little sister's smile was infectious, as the older Eagle Union found herself smiling. "You opened one to find out that it was a jelly sandwich and not the one you wanted. Then I opened mine, which turned out to be the golden eggwich that you wanted," tiredly explained Enterprise as a smile had formed.

"You didn't include that the eggwich is the most sought-after sandwich in the whole pool of options. And what happened next?"

"I pulled three in a row…" said Enterprise with a small blush on her face.

"Darn right you did! San Diego and Hammann were soaked in jealousy from your incredible luck," stated Hornet.

Both Zuikaku and Belfast couldn't hold back their laughter at the genuine sisterly moment that those two were having. It was a much-needed story that brought life back into Enterprise.

"Here…" Hornet pulled out a white, small bag that caught everyone's attention. "… I went back to snag one for old time's sake. Care to do the honors?" She said while she held it in front of her sister.

"Hornet, whatever you are trying to prove, this might backfire," said Enterprise who didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Please, I won't take the result seriously if it's bad," she said.

Enterprise hesitantly reached out with her left hand to tear the top part off. She let out a breath as a golden eggwich stared back at her.

Hornet beamed hopefully as her faith was restored in this single action. "See… your luck hasn't run out yet, so that arm is as good as new," said Hornet with happiness.

Enterprise could not describe the warm feeling in her heart that made her cry briefly at the love she felt from all those around her. If this was what being human meant, then she was right to change for the better.

**For those of you that were hoping to see more of the… well… let's call her "fake" for now. She will get more exposure in the next chapter. My knowledge of the lore of Azur lane is still hazy, but not as bad as it was in the beginning. In the anime, Enterprise's dark version really pulled me in, and I have read up on her in-game lore. Considering that the anime is doing their own original story that doesn't entirely match up with the game's events, I'm going to have some alterations to Enterprise's "shadow" that will hopefully surprise some of you. I do hope that you all are liking where I'm taking this story, and even though it might have heavy drama, I'm going to balance it out with cute, romantic moments every now and then. In this chapter, I mentioned Vestal as a medical repair ship. I believe she is referred to as a repair ship, but it felt off for me to leave it like that. So medical and repair are pretty much interchangeable for her. Most might not care but wanted to acknowledge it regardless.**


	6. Waves That Break

**Here's the next chapter everyone. Before we start, I like to give a shout out to the mystery guest reviewer that caught that Yu-Gi-Oh GX reference. It came to mind while writing, and it felt natural to write it to give Hornet and Enterprise a sisterly moment. Anyways, enjoy the chapter everyone.**

**Chapter 6: Waves That Break**

After the wonderful moment exchanged between the two Eagle Union sisters, everyone had huddled around Enterprise's bed to share a small meal with her.

"Hey, Ent, have some of my banana pudding," encouraged the brown-haired Sakura Empire who had her spoon pointed toward the white-haired Eagle Union.

"She doesn't need sugary treats while she's recovering. What she needs are vegetables like broccoli and Zucchini," stated Belfast. It wasn't lost on everyone that she had a plate full of the stuff as she pointed her fork at Enterprise that contained a piece of broccoli.

"I… I don't need to be fed. I still have the use of my left hand, and I can feed myself just fine," she said as she head dodged the spoon of pudding and the fork of broccoli.

"I don't really get why both of you are acting so strange, besides, she should be eating her eggwich first- it's bad luck if you don't," Hornet stated while she shoved the sandwich close to her sister's face.

"Not you, too, Hornet. I'll just take the fruit salad with some of the chicken," replied Enterprise with a definitive remark.

Shoukaku, which was the only one who wasn't invading Enterprise's personal space, ate her dumplings in silence. She couldn't help but pout at the sisterly interaction that Zuikaku was offering to the Eagle Union, and she wished that her little sister would tend to her that way if she was ever injured like that.

The quirky food date had ended quickly when Vestal barged in with a stern lecture to all of them about the one-person limit. They all pouted in their own way and agreed to clear out of the room in a few minutes.

Hornet was first to break the silence that befell them. "She has a point. It's still daylight, but Ent needs her rest. Vestal is going to start her treatment tomorrow, and my sister needs to be ready for that."

"The nerve repair for your arm will be a difficult recovery, so sleep is ideal," sighed Belfast who wished she could spend more personal time with the Eagle Union.

"I see… then Hornet should be the one to stay and look out for her sister," said Zuikaku.

Hornet shook her head. "I'm already going to be staying the night, so it's no problem if you'll take turns among yourselves."

Hornet's words were like a flag that signaled a race to start as both Zuikaku and Belfast immediately locked gazes with each other.

"Oh… since you bring that up, then I guess I'll volunteer to go first since you're okay with that," said Zuikaku with a cheeky smile.

Belfast quietly sucked air in at the words of the Sakura Empire. "Why should you forcibly decide that you should be the one? She should choose since it is ultimately her say," stated the maid.

Zuikaku couldn't find any way to argue that logic, yet she wasn't going to throw in the towel. "Forcibly? Yeah… no… that is the last thing I would try to do. I worry about Enty. Besides, you already had your time to speak your peace," said the swordswoman with a challenging face toward the Royal Navy.

Enterprise, Hornet, and Shoukaku dawned a confused face as they watched the two banter back and forth.

"W-while that may be true, that doesn't give you the right to take control of that choice. We all care for Enterprise, but Vestal has made it clear that she should not exert herself. The one guest limit is the answer to that. I… I…" She knew that she had no concrete reasons to have more time with Enterprise while she had already had her alone time. Everything that related to that situation had made it clear that she wasn't in the correct corner. As more bad luck would have it, her phone had begun to ring. One look at the name had told her that this call couldn't be ignored, as the caller would meet an unfortunate end. She politely pardoned her rudeness to the others that were in the room, of course, Zuikaku crossed her arms with a triumphant smirk when the maid turned around to answer the call. "Edinburgh, what seems to be the problem?"

A short paused had lingered in the room as the face of the maid changed from agitated to seriousness. "You what?! A-are you sure you can't find a way inside?"

Another pause had formed as Belfast's face now appeared to be tired and disappointed. "Maybe this is a sign that you need to stop being forgetful."

One more pause had appeared as Belfast wavered between agitation to reluctance. "Oh, very well, Edinburgh. I'm only doing this once, and if you do it again, then I'll leave you to the fate that Sheffield will bring down on you." Belfast finished her call with a small sigh as she turned back around to face her companions that were confused and curious about what the call related to. Belfast cleared her throat and bowed slightly. "Miss Enterprise, I'm afraid that I must be leaving for a little while," she said with downcast eyes.

Enterprise looked hurt at the news. "Huh? Is there an emergency with the Royal Navy?"

Belfast couldn't help but smile at the Eagle Union's mindset that jumped to serious conclusions that made Enterprise dawn a cute, yet worried face. That was one thing that the maid loved about Enterprise, the fact that she would selflessly jump to serious conclusions that told people that she would assist if they needed help.

"It's nothing of the Siren world-ending nature. My fellow maid is in distress after a slight… error on her part. Forgive me for being vague, but it's nothing noteworthy to pass on. Nevertheless, she is my dear sister that I must help out. I'll only be gone for a few hours at best," said the maid.

"Hey, it can't be helped. Your sister needs you, but I'll keep Enty company in the meantime," said the brown-haired Sakura Empire with a hand gesture to tell the maid to move along.

"Are you sure that it's alright?" Said Enterprise.

Belfast held back a genuine laugh with her hand. "Miss Enterprise, it's sweet that you care, but you should be more concerned about your current state. You're in no liberty to offer assistance, and I assure you that it's nothing life-threatening." She found herself second-guessing those words, as Edinburgh's predicament could spell fatal only to herself.

"I see… I still feel sad that you have to leave," spoke the Eagle Union, who felt useless even though Belfast had made it clear that it wasn't an overly serious situation.

Belfast frowned at the look that the Eagle Union had on her face. With all the things that have happened in the short span of about twenty-four hours, she could see that Enterprise needed to be surrounded by her loved ones during this dark time. "Fear not, Miss Enterprise. Before visiting hours are over and Hornet takes her permanent shift for the night, I shall be back to see you lastly," stated the maid that made Zuikaku frown.

"I would love that, Bel."

The Eagle Union's casual nickname was not lost on the maid as her cheeks grew red. She was lucky that she turned her head slightly to hide it. "I shall take my leave then. Until later, Enterprise," she said as she made her way out of the room with a slight reluctance to her pace.

"I guess it all worked out in the end. Zui, you and Belfast seemed pretty heated about picking who wanted to stay first," said the blond Eagle Union who didn't think too deep into what she was stating.

Zuikaku tensed nervously, and she laughed it off as her mind quickly found a good counter. "Hey, Enty's my friend...," she began with a hollow feeling in her heart when she said, friend. "… I just want a one on one with her to see how's she's doing, also, I have some things I want to discuss," she said with half seriousness that made Enterprise understand the possible importance of it.

"Well, alright. Shou and I will be heading out. I'll come back later tonight, sister."

Enterprise nodded, and Zuikaku happily pulled her chair closer to the bed resting Eagle Union that made her express a quick laugh at the swordswoman's goofy actions.

Shoukaku laid a hand on her sister's shoulder to get her attention. "I'll keep myself busy and wait for you on base," she said with a kind smile that made Zuikaku nod at her sister.

Just as Hornet and Shoukaku were about to leave the room, Hornet stopped herself. "Oh, hey, Ent. I almost forgot to mention that Shoukaku along with some of the other shipgirls retrieved your rig last night."

Enterprise gasped softly, and her smile grew. "Thank you, Shoukaku. I'll be sure to thank all the others when I'm able to be let go."

Hornet smiled briefly for she had more to say. "That's… not all. They also retrieved your doppelganger's ship, too."

Enterprise visibly looked hurt and confused. "Why would you bring that… thing here?"

This time, it was Shoukaku that stepped forward. "Miss Grey Ghost, your rig is an exceptional piece of hardware as it should be since it's an extension of you. Your imitator emulates that hardware to perfection from what we all witnessed. To leave it out there would pretty much mean that we would be okay to let your rig be stranded too. Anyone could come across her ship and do anything with that hardware if they wanted to. I have no doubts in my mind that the Sirens would like it back as I believe that, even though it was created by their hand, they lack the means to replicate it again."

"What makes you say that?" Asked Hornet who looked intrigued by what she had to say.

Shoukaku pridefully smiled at the blond Eagle Union. "Don't you listen to people's monologues? Purifier did mention that Enterprise's data was stored in that black mental cube and that she was going to fuse a warship into her. This isn't news shattering as she did state that she wanted to merge her body with Enterprise's data. When I recalled the story to the shipgirls that helped me bring the ships back, I thought about the report Akagi had to disclose."

Everyone in the room looked at Shoukaku with disbelief except for Enterprise who already knew those details, minus the other shipgirls knowing the truth.

"You told them what happened?!" Shouted Hornet in disbelief.

"Hornet, it's okay. They would have eventually started to talk among each other until wild rumors birth from the confusion. I'd prefer they find out the exact facts, so we are all on the same boat."

"That's what I was trying to do, Miss Grey Ghost. Forgive me if I stepped out of line. They already knew that you were critically injured and that by itself would have caused wild rumors to start, especially after they already saw the other one," she said with a reasonable and sad tone.

"I guess it does makes sense, and if Ent's okay with this, then I can forgive you, Shou," said Hornet who sounded apologetic when she raised her voice to the woman that brought her sister's vessel back.

Shoukaku made a face at Hornet as she would prefer, she stays mad at her if it meant that she would stop calling her by her nickname.

"Wait a minute, what's this report of Akagi you briefly mentioned?" Said Hornet.

"Oh, that. That's how I know they can't replicate Enterprise's ship again. Akagi had disclosed about her dealings with the Sirens and the Orochi warship when you saved her. She was brought back to the Sakura Empire, and as much as Nagato and some of the elders wanted to keep involvement with the Orochi warship covered up, the people did deserve transparency. I'm not sure if they knew about the Siren observer that Akagi stated she partnered up with. Regardless, I quickly got my hands on the newest reports much to the wonderful sadness of our elders. In short, Akagi stated that the black mental cube was used to control the Orochi warship and to collect data from targets that the Sirens had wanted. Enterprise was the prime target they had their eyes on, and the only data that they had of her was in the black mental cube."

Enterprise found herself letting out a breath as most of this stuff she did know but wondered if Akagi had withheld some info when they last encountered each other during the assault on the Orochi warship. "You catch on quick, Shoukaku. Yes, as a matter of fact, the black mental cube is now gone, replaced by her. During the chaotic battle, I hit it with my arrow that caused the black smoke to appear. It acted like a wisdom cube at that moment that brought her into our lives."

This news about it acting like a wisdom cube had shocked all of them including Shoukaku who didn't anticipate another layer into this event. "Are you saying that she's actually another version of you?!" Fired Hornet.

"T-that can't be. She's a Siren masking herself as your look-alike, she had ghostly yellow eyes, Enty!" Said Zuikaku.

"Miss Grey Ghost, that's not possible. Akagi would have mentioned that it also acted like a wisdom cube if that was the case. I don't see her lying or withholding something like that, especially after…," she trailed off from what she was going to say as she remembered the fate of what happened to Kaga. There was no shadow of a doubt that Akagi would have still been covering for the Sirens after what they did to Kaga.

Enterprise deeply wished she knew the answer to that question. "I don't know what she is, only that she isn't me. They stole my data during my weakest moment, and if they think they can try again well… that will be the last thing they do. I'm no longer mentally weak and conflicted about where I stand in my life. I now know why I fight." Those words of strength that came from the recovering Eagle Union had made Hornet and Zuikaku smile with joy. Enterprise couldn't help but feel rejuvenated over her own rant she spewed at the moment. "Shoukaku, I'll take comfort knowing that ship isn't in their hands anymore, even when they had my data in their hands, did it make me feel restless."

"Not a problem, Miss Grey Ghost. I do also believe that your doppelganger's ship is safe here compared to any other base you might have, well… here or… you know what? It's not my place to finish that sentence," she said with a smile. The only one that knew what Shoukaku was going to say was her sister, who pondered over the other alternative.

Shoukaku then left with Hornet. It was worth noting that with all the new info that Hornet had learned, she ended up tagging along with Shoukaku to continue to pick her brain about what other things the older Crane sister knew.

The only ones that were in the room now where Zuikaku and Enterprise. The Eagle Union looked tired from the overwhelming news that she had been supplied with.

"That really was a lot of heavy stuff that got unpacked," said Zuikaku to break the tension in the room.

"No, it's alright. I needed this clarity that my data was one of a kind to them. Knowing that they no longer have that as a trump card brings me peace," said Enterprise.

"Now, all we need to figure out is what to do with your… well, her…," she trailed off nervously as she tried to find the right words to address the other Enterprise.

"Zui, before we continue this, I want to get this out that I already know about my connection to her."

Zuikaku's expression of shock was comedic as she did a double take. "H-how did you?"

"You're talking to the one that felt the force of her own arrow almost completely incinerate her right arm when she tried doing it to her imposter. I also had a chat with Belfast about this very topic, too. So, if we are going to be talking about this stuff, I would like if we could both be transparent with each other," replied Enterprise with a small smile.

Zuikaku violently shook her head in agreement. "Of course, I would never want to lie to you, Enty. I was going to tell you like I told Vestal, but I wanted you to recover some strength first before we had to tell you."

"Of course. How's your hand?" Replied the Eagle Union.

Zuikaku made a strong fist to show Enterprise. "It's all better- look, see for yourself."

The Eagle Union smiled happily at the playful nature of the Sakura Empire. "That's amazing, Zui."

"Don't mean to brag, but I have an incredible tenacity to bounce back from danger. Your… um… look-alike sure can shoot an arrow." The pride she started off with had turned small and sincere to the feelings of the Eagle Union she loved.

"Zui… I…"

"Enty, don't. You weren't the one that shot that arrow. And I have no anger toward you for holding back so much. I mean, when we trained together, it's obvious that you would hold back. I'm not insulted by that and seeing what you can bring to the table was a learning experience for me to keep growing."

Enterprise defeatedly accepted that response. "Your reserves of positivity seem boundless, thank you. But understand that what I said back then about you keeping me on my toes are all still true. You might lack the power, but you do make it up with an unyielding tenacity to keep going forward. Just remember that; power will come with training, but tenacity is something more deeply ingrained that will serve you further."

Zuikaku wished she could believe that, but every time she tried, the intensity of the arrow from the other Enterprise would vibrate the fortress that was her positivity. She understood that in a fair fight, she would be taken down quickly, and she didn't understand how tenacity would keep her alive. "Since we got that serious discussion out of the way, I have something that will elevate your mood." She reached inside her Crane coat that made Enterprise do a double take that she had pockets in there.

The hand of the Crane remained hidden for a few seconds until she pulled it out to reveal a captain's hat.

"My hat!" Said Enterprise with a beaming look of surprise. She wasn't currently wearing her usual outfit since the incident had done a number on her clothes, she hated to see how her coat fared now, but aside from that, she figured that her most prized article of clothing had been lost to the sea.

Zuikaku let herself bask in the praise she could feel coming from the Eagle Union. "Your sister was rightfully busy tending to your injured state that she left your hat floating out at sea. I picked it up for you. It fits no one else better." She gave her a smirk and planted the hat back onto the Eagle Union that caused it to cover her eyes briefly.

Enterprise scoffed at the action as she pulled it higher to get a look at the Sakura Empire. "I feel like I'm thanking you left and right."

Zuikaku giggled. "Hey, I'm not stopping you," she happily jabbed at the woman she loved.

"This hat means a great deal to me, Zuikaku." A tear soon showed itself on the left cheek of the white-haired carrier.

"Enty! A-are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I don't know why I'm suddenly crying. It's just… you're a great friend to me, Zui. It feels very cruel that it took our nations becoming enemies to be able to be aware of the other's existence. We were enemies on our first encounter and yet, you've found a way to overshadow those days in such a short amount of time."

The brown-haired girl silently looked away during the Eagle Union's crying spree to grit her teeth in irritation. She wasn't mad at Enterprise; she was mad at herself for allowing herself to feel hurt by this. As much as those words brought a warmth to her heart to be seen as a good friend, she jealously yearned for something more; she yearned for the look of love from the Eagle Union. "Thanks, Enty. That… means a lot to me that you see me that way. If only we met as allies first. I guess that I can put it behind us now that our nations can agree about the dangers of Siren tech," she said with a smile.

"Indeed. And it only took a giant Siren-level warship to nail the point across," she said with a playfully ironic tone to her voice.

Zuikaku laughed heartily at the dry joke from the Eagle Union. She then grew flustered as she contemplated what she was going to say next. "You know, I did know your existence before Red Axis formed. It's kinda hard not to know your fame as the Grey Ghost extended far. I used to look at a picture of you all the time- just wondering how far I could push you in battle." Her cheeks grew redder with each passing word, and it didn't help when she glanced at Enterprise to find that she had grown silent with a captive gaze to her.

Zuikaku knew she already dug too deep, now she needed to dig her way out. "Enty, I was obsessed with you from the first story I heard about you. The ship of unlimited strength, the ship that brought the waves of victory wherever she went. I wanted to be you that I tried to learn everything about you, and you know what? I didn't. Everything I learned from reports, from tales, and from records- they were all useless once I got to meet you in person, and once I finally saw passed my own fantasies of wanting to beat you. My obsession no longer yearned for your defeat by my hands…," she said silently as if she wasn't all that there.

Enterprise felt confused as she didn't know where this was going. "By that, you mean that once we settled the score with each other when we did that mock battle?"

This was a turning point that the Sakura Empire could feel. She feared that once she said her peace, they would never look at each other the same way again, and that scared her. "Y-yeah, no more obsessive rival induced desires of beating you. These days, all I want is to learn from you, be there for you, and to push myself into being a capable fighter that can fight on her own." This was only a half-truth as she desired more than what she had told the Eagle Union. Her rival obsession didn't die, rather it was transformed into the burning love that she felt for the Eagle Union.

Enterprise smiled warmly at her. "Zui, you are a capable fighter and don't think for a second that relying on others, like your sister or your allies makes you weak. There is a lot of pain when you're alone at the top, you feel this crushing sense of responsibility that eats away at you. You don't have room to be your own person when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Wow, when you put it that way… eh, yeah, you're right," she said dismissively to herself. "… you are my friend, Enterprise."

Enterprise should have been smiling at that, but she found herself getting caught up in the fact that she didn't use her nickname. She pushed it aside as Zuikaku being somewhat formal.

Zuikaku remained silent for a second that made both shipgirls feel like there was a divide between them. She contained her emotions that wanted to break out as she looked at her friend to ask her a serious question. "Ent… Enty, f-feel free to say no, but… I think I have a plan to deal with this Siren/mystery shipgirl that's bonded with you."

The Eagle Union perked up from this new topic that made her hold her breath. "And what plan do you have in mind," she said with a willingness to listen to her Sakura Empire friend.

**(Belfast)**

Belfast sighed to herself as she got on her knees to stick a paper clip into a locked keyhole.

"Thank you very much for helping me out at the last minute," said a royal maid ship girl with glasses.

Belfast looked at her sister, Edinburgh, while she messed with the locked door. "This is very like you to lock yourself out of your dorm room, Edinburgh. You even left the water running that adds you extra points," spoke the head maid with a deep sigh.

"Ah, Miss Belfast, I know that I'm such a clutz, and I promise that it won't happen again," stated the other maid.

"No, it's fine. This is your nature at the end of the day. Let's just be glad that Sheffield wasn't here to further drive the point home since this is her room as well." Belfast wiggled the paperclip until she heard a click that put a smile of relief on her face.

The door opened with the head maid looking rather proud of herself. "There we go, another door unlocked by yours truly," she said with a giggle.

Edinburgh blasted into the room as she made a B-line to the sink. Water had been continuously running that overflowed past the sink and onto the floor.

"Good heavens, Edinburgh, if we waited any longer, you'd need your rig to get through this water."

"I know, thank you again, Miss Belfast."

"You know, Belfast will do just fine, dear sister. Now, where do you keep the mops?"

Edinburgh looked away with a distant gaze from her sister's words. It wasn't lost to them or anyone else that there had always been a level of distance between them that caused them to act like maid acquaintances instead of sisters. Regardless of their personal issues, they would always have each other's backs when the other needed it the most, and Edinburgh knew that if she locked herself again, then her sister would always help her again.

They both cleaned up the mess on the kitchen floor with their mops. When the deed was done, Belfast stood triumphant with another task put to rest. "That was indeed a lot of water, Edinburgh. What were you even doing that took you away from the kitchen?" Belfast walked to the living room as she sat down on the couch to allow herself a small break.

"I… I can't even remember why I left in a hurry," she said with a red face as she angled her glasses to hide her gaze.

Belfast didn't believe her while her gaze was evasive. The head maid scanned the room until her eyes landed on a colorful card that stood out among the rest. She couldn't help but noticed it as it laid open and about on a small table. "Is this a love letter?" Belfast picked up the letter and began to read, "Your hair is as golden as the gold bars I protect. Your eyes are as red as the fiery passion in my heart..." There was more to the letter, however, she didn't get to read the rest as Edinburgh caught wind of the reading.

"Ah! Miss Belfast, what are you doing?!" She snatched the letter from the head maid who blushed with a small bow.

"F-forgive me, Edinburgh. My curiosity got the better of me. I saw the colorful letter discarded on the table, and my mind did the rest."

Edinburgh held the card close to her chest. She carefully looked at Belfast to determine if she should vent out to her. "Did you read the name at the end?"

"I did not," said the head maid.

Edinburgh sighed with relief. "Good, because the embarrassment would kill me."

"W-would you like to talk about it? As the head maid, I must make sure my fellow maids are not caught up in inner conflict."

"This won't hinder my capabilities as a maid, Belfast," she said harshly that was a surprise coming from the clumsy and shy maid.

"Fair enough, then how about you vent with me as… sisters?" Said Belfast with a warm smile as she knew a sensitive hand was required.

Edinburgh felt like mocking those words, but they did sound genuine. She caved in on the offer after giving it more thought. Since the subject was difficult, Edinburgh made tea to give her nerves that extra edge to say what she wanted. She sipped her tea elegantly and placed it on the table. The expression on her face relaxed as she looked at Belfast. "What you were reading was a love letter addressed to Cleveland." Her relaxed face shifted to a blush that she couldn't control.

"Cleveland? W-what brought this on?"

"She's amazing and so cool, Belfast. She has helped me to reduce my clumsiness with confidence, and she never gives me a hard time about it. I left the water running because I raced to this bakery store that had one spot open for a special dessert request. If I missed it, I would have still been in the pending list."

"You're planning on confessing to her?"

"S-sort of! The dessert is to show my appreciation for helping me reach cool confidence. The card is there for... well... to express my love- there I said it!"

"Edinburgh, what if she doesn't return the love? I'm sure she helped you out because she sees you as a friend. This could... jeopardize that friendship." Her eyes lowered as she thought back to Enterprise, and this situation reminded her of her own problems. She found her own irony on how she would help her fellow maids deal with their internal conflicts, yet she harbored a great one that she continued to push down.

"I'm aware of that, Belfast. But... I need to. If I don't, then the answer will always haunt me. I'm willing to put my friendship on the line to gain something more- something that my heart wants."

"Something that the heart wants...," recited Belfast to herself.

"Indeed, and if it fails, I don't believe that our friendship will diminish because I'll always be there for her."

The head maid took in those words in stride. "Then I wish you the best of luck, dear Edinburgh."

Edinburgh goofily smiled with her glasses lowering. She fixed them and sipped her tea. "Thank you. So, how's Enterprise after her accident?" She spoke after enjoying her sip.

"She's recovering as we speak. I was actually over there when you called."

"Oh my, forgive me if I pulled you away from her."

"It's fine. I'll be seeing her later anyway, and your predicament couldn't wait."

"I heard that there was a girl that looked like her hospitalized as well..."

"Word travels fast, I see. Yes, but only in looks. She is far removed from Enterprise, and at this moment, we don't know that much about her. Enterprise claims that she was created from a wisdom cube that used to be the infamous black mental cube."

Edinburgh nearly choked on her tea from the info. "Excuse me! That can't be. If she was brought out by a wisdom cube, then isn't she a shipgirl?"

"I don't have the answers to that. She is an enigma all around, and I firmly believe she's a Siren masking behind Enterprise."

"I didn't know that Sirens could do that," spoke Edinburgh.

"Neither did I."

"Why don't we talk about something different. We've been talking about Siren doppelgangers and my love life, but what about yours?"

Belfast tensed slightly, as she smoothed out her gloved hand. She figured that she should take a sip of her tea to avoid speaking but understood that it would be rude. "What are you saying? I don't have a love life that I'm aware of."

"You don't? I figured that you and Enterprise were rather close."

Belfast held in a deep blush as she pulled back a piece of hair behind her ear. "Close as in friends and nothing more!"

"F-forgive me, Belfast. It's just that rumors fly all over the place, and I thought that you both were keeping it under the radar."

"No, we are not together. She's... not looking for romantic pursuits," she said with downcast eyes.

"What about you?"

"That is irrelevant, Edinburgh," she said with a stoic face.

Edinburgh cheerily laughed as she sipped her tea. "You're just like me then; the difference here is that you're not honest with yourself."

"I... I just don't want to lose her."

"You won't... dear sister. A strong friendship will last even if she doesn't think of you in that way. You have this special connection with her that not many have. You did change her outlook on life for the better, and don't think that nobody has noticed. They even noticed the growing relationship she has with the Sakura Empire carrier."

An ugly side of her tried to break free and make itself known via her facial expression. However, she suppressed that side. "Miss Zuikaku chases a dream that she can't catch. There is admiration in that determination, but I am not her. I know what I value more, and it's my friendship with Enterprise." She refused to let her heart take her down into a hole of despair once Enterprise rejects her. In that hole, the only thing she will find will be the ugly side of her she refuses to let win because every time she allowed her heart to control her, that ugly side would be close by.

**(Zuikaku)**

Zuikaku stared at a wall with vacant eyes. She had just left the room of Enterprise to allow her to rest and think over what she had proposed to her. Her hand balled up into a fist, and she punched a vacant room door a few inches to her right, resulting in the metal of the door bending slightly.

"Stupid, stupid, and stupid... why did I waver? Everything was perfect. She was happy with her hat returned to her, and she looked at me with respect and love." Her face changed quickly into a pained one when the former pain of her right hand had still lingered slightly. "Ouch, I shouldn't have done that, oh, going to feel that tomorrow morning," she comically moaned from her newly wounded hand.

"Zui, is everything alright?"

Zuikaku stiffened up when she heard her sister's voice behind her. "Shou, yeah... it's all good," she said with a fake smile.

The older Crane sister scoffed at her smile and reached out to hold her little sister's hand firmly. "No, you are not. You're going to strain this hand again if you go punching metal doors like that. Did something happen?"

"Tsss... no... nothing happened. I'm just venting at my own anger."

"Zui, I'm your older sister, why won't you talk to me about what's going on?"

"Because it's not important, okay?"

"If it's bothering you, then it's important to me," answered the older sister.

"I... look, I'll tell you, but right now I need to send a message to the Sakura Empire."

"What for?"

"I can tell you that as we walk," she said to her sister.

**(Unknown)**

A vast sea wrapped in the cover of the night. The night was so dark that the light of the moon wasn't visible to anyone watching. A girl with a bow stood out in the middle of the sea as she remained motionless. The sounds of the mocking waves filled her ears with their forceful sloshes that would hit her knees with water.

This girl looked up from her motionless state to witness shifting shadows all around her. She instinctively pulled back her bowstring and fired into the dark night. A flicker of ash and ember painted her limited world with light as her arrow had hit something that burned it up.

She repeated the process again and again. More ash and ember continue to light her way through the darkness, like some sickening bread trail.

She was indifferent to what she was hitting that caused the brief sources of light, and her only desire was going forward. She felt that nothing else mattered as long as she continued to fire her arrows and keep going forward.

Her world soon reached a dead end where the sea cut off, and she stared at an expansion of dark nothingness.

She felt a ping in her heart from seeing such empty vastness of nothing that allowed her to turn around to gaze where she had come from. Her eyes widened slowly as a trail of burning remnant ships illuminated her dark sea. Those floating ships were a mixture of Siren, Sakura Empire, and Iron Blood that now laid destroyed.

Her eyes landed on floating charred bodies that once used to be shipgirls and Sirens. Something metal had touched her feet that made her look down. At that moment, she saw a floating katana that looked familiar to her as if she had seen it before.

She looked away from it with indifference in her eyes.

Another light had appeared before her, only this light resided in the dark expansion of nothingness. It was three light sources that shined brightly with an indication that whatever was generating those lights, had a massive structure to it. A blaring alien-like sound filled her limited world with discomfort, and then, the three lights combined to form a massive cannon.

The cannon fired at her, and she retaliated with an arrow. Her arrow failed to stand up against this otherworldly power. She then felt the right side of her body take the hit that somehow felt like an old friend that had visited one too many times.

An unyielding pain was the last thing she experienced as the mocking waves drowned her into oblivion. This felt familiar to her… but then… it stopped feeling that way. She was still here, only, she couldn't see anything. This was different than the dark sea as she could feel a pull guiding her in that sea. In this place, everything about her felt different. She felt tired, heavy, limited, and thirsty.

Her ears picked up shifting footsteps followed by sounds of a machine monitor. She then realized that her eyes were closed, and she opened them with a grunt to her voice as the light of the room blinded her.

A soft gasp drew her into this blinding light as she saw the face of a pink-haired and soft blue-eyed medical ship.

"You're finally awake," she said with a still breath.

The wild-haired girl looked stunned for a second as she looked around the medical room. Her head started to throb with jumbled up memories crashing into her like waves. Her only respite was one memory that wasn't jumbled up. "Enterprise!" She yelled frantically with a dry and raspy voice to her vocals.

Vestal recoiled in fright when she heard the crazed version of Enterprise's voice.

The Pseudo-Eagle Union found herself restrained to the bed with straps that hardly gave her room to move an inch.

Vestal detached herself from her fright and ran to the IV with a syringe.

The Pseudo-Eagle Union weakly grunted as her vision darkened once again.

She must have been out of it for a few hours because when she came to, there were two other people in the room.

"Oh, looks like she's finally awake," said the royal maid who had been talking with the other person in the room.

"No kidding, guess it's finally time to start the interrogation," declared the Sakura Empire carrier as she folded her arms.

The wild-haired girl appeared to be more relaxed. She searched her surroundings to see if anything had changed, and she couldn't find any major alterations.

"You caused quite the startle for Miss Vestal earlier today… miss…?" She paused to see if maybe she could get a response from the doppelganger.

The pseudo-Eagle Union merely gave her a perpetual death glare from before that earned her no friends in the room.

Zuikaku scoffed lightly to herself as she removed herself from the wall. "Give it up, passing maid. If she was that chatty, we wouldn't need to go into these twenty questions with her. I think, Miss Brooding, over here just wants to stay silent." She pulled up a chair to sit next to the doppelganger. "Hey, remember me? I'm the one who you played dirty with and knocked my sword out of my hand."

The wild-haired girl switched from giving Belfast the death glare, to giving Zuikaku the glare instead.

Zuikaku tensed up yet pressed onward. "You know, you got that look down to perfection, you should learn to smile a bit. But… I guess that's not your style. Yes, I can see you like playing this old song and dance where we'll keep asking questions, and you'll just brood."

"It's alright… I think all she needs is a little persuasion," stated the maid as she walked forward with a glass of water.

The doppelganger stared at the glass of water as her death glare eased up a bit.

"It's her eyes, you know? Even without the furrowed brows, she still gives off that glare," said Zuikaku.

"That's enough mockery on her. She might come after you if she gets the chance," said Belfast.

"Pfft, I'm already on her hit list from way earlier- we are all on it at this point," pointed out Zuikaku.

Belfast ignored Zuikaku and walked closer. "So, what do you say? We don't want to hurt you; we only want answers. If you can provide us with that, I can give you what you want," she said with a friendly and charming giggle.

Her giggle had caused something to throb inside the wild-haired girl's brain. She grunted in pain that made her look away from Belfast.

"Whoa, is she okay?" Asked Zuikaku.

"I'm not sure. Do we have a deal?" She asked sternly this time. Belfast felt another glare toward her as a response that didn't spark much joy for the maid. "First question: Why did you attack Enterprise?"

There was no response from the doppelganger as her pain had faded away.

"Hey, if she's in pain, shouldn't that mean that Enty is going through that?" Asked Zuikaku.

"I don't think so. Vestal would have already told us that by now. This feels like a mental pain that isn't really there."

"What?! That's stupid. That makes no sense!" Shouted the Sakura Empire carrier.

"I'm a maid, not a doctor, you… you… tempura eater," said the maid as she failed on her insult.

"Huh? wow, that really hurt… I guess," said Zuikaku with a tired shrug.

Belfast sighed from her own frustrations with herself. "Look, I'm sorry for calling you names. I don't know where that came from, and I rather we focus on the real enemy at hand."

"Don't sweat it, passing maid."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Okay, okay, I had my fill. Let's get serious." She walked up to the doppelganger until she was a few inches from her face. "How about question two: What are you? It's clear now that you had something to do with the black mental cube. It's a popular guess that you were created from the data of Enterprise, which we would really like to know how that works. Are you a Siren or something else?!" Zuikaku got no response as once again, she received another death glare. "You really are stubborn. We know that you can talk, so say something!"

Zuikaku felt like she was talking to a wall with staring problems, and that irritated her. She paused her anger as she caught a strange scent. "Hey, she was cleaned up, right?"

"W-what does that matter? Yes, Vestal did say she was cleaned up."

"Hmm, then why does her hair still smell of sea salt?" Zuikaku's curiosity got the better of her when she received an impactful headbutt by the Pseudo-Eagle Union. "Yeowch! Ugh… my nose… she got me in the nose! Hey, what's your problem?! You see that- she headbutted me?!"

"Well, you were asking for it when you started to smell her," sternly explained Belfast.

Zuikaku blushed madly through her new injury as the only one she would enjoy smelling their hair would be Enterprise. "She's wild and we're wasting our time here. She hasn't even answered any questions."

"She has no say in the matter. We are done playing around with you, Miss Doppelganger. If you don't humor us with words, then you can forget about this glass of water. I can tell that you are dying of thirst, so if you don't talk… then…." She turned around to head to the nearest sink and started to angle the glass of water.

"You… will… give me that glass of… water."

Both Belfast and Zuikaku stood alerted to the identical sweet voice that they both loved from their true Eagle Union.

Belfast turned around slowly to face the wild-haired girl with a still breath. Even Zuikaku had taken a step back when she felt creeped out at how identical the voice was to Enterprise.

"And why would I do that?" Challenged the Royal Navy.

"Because… she will die." A small and broken smile had formed on the lips of the doppelganger. "I know that we are bonded together. It would be hard to ignore that when your failed assassination only resulted in grazing her arm; an arm that you also earned a wound from," she said dryly.

"You knew you were bonded?" Angrily said Zuikaku.

"I did, and I didn't care- I still don't care. If I knew that Purifier's shield would have deflected the blast more to the right, then I would have settled for Enterprise and me to die. After all my struggle, she still lives…"

Belfast hid her aggression from sight as those words were the same that Enterprise had said toward her counterpart. "You are a fiend," she said sternly.

"Tell that to someone that cares. Give me the water, now. If not, then she will soon start to feel a painful dryness to her throat- if she hasn't already started to feel it. Could you imagine that torture? To have an urge that you can't satisfy at all, no matter how hard you try. No amount of water she drinks will remove that thirst, only until you satisfy the other."

"Why should we believe you?" Said Zuikaku.

"My body speaks for me. A bullet wound here… and a torched arm over there… do you really think that basic living urges aren't shared? Your friend was smart to use water to get me to talk. I bet she was really thirsty when she came to," she said with a small laugh.

"She played us from the start," said Zuikaku.

"She's very observant, just like Enterprise. She was able to guess how far their shared experiences went," said the maid.

"Well… go ahead and give her the water. You did want to give Enterprise water earlier, right?"

"This is different, and you know it." Belfast reluctantly walked closer to the doppelganger and placed the water near her mouth.

The doppelganger drank from the cup with heavy gulps as if she had never experienced the sensation of drinking. When she was done, she gave Belfast a mocking look.

Belfast snapped as she held her firmly by the black tank top she had on until they were inches away from each other. "Listen here, the only reason you drink from this glass is that you are tied to someone I love very dearly. We will find a way to separate her from you if it's the last thing we do. You are right that we can't hurt you, and it's a shame as Royal Navy torture is quite effective in getting someone to talk. However, there are other methods of torture that don't involve pain." Belfast released her as she quickly stormed out of the room with Zuikaku in tow.

The doppelganger dropped her head on the pillow as she stared at the ceiling. She was unaware that there was still someone observing her from behind the one-way mirror.

Zuikaku and Belfast funneled through the doorway of Enterprise's room with a frantic beat to their steps.

"Where's the fire?" Joked Enterprise dryly.

Both Zuikaku and Belfast close their gaping mouths of worry to address a confirmation.

"Enterprise, did you feel thirsty just now?" Asked Belfast.

"Now that you mentioned it, I did. There was also this hard pressure on my forehead earlier too. The dryness in my throat was mild, and I was going to request some water, but it went away. W-why?"

The two love-stricken rivals' fears had bloomed as the doppelganger's sharp guess had been confirmed.

**(Hornet)**

The younger Eagle Union had seen it all. She had seen the interactions between her friends and the doppelganger of her sister. She had been silently observing behind the one-way mirror with one repeatable memory playing on a loop.

"Screw this," she remarked finally. She pushed her way into the room of the doppelganger.

The doppelganger had expected the two to come back, but she didn't expect her. Her death glare eased up tremendously to the point that it looked more like a one thousand-yard stare for a brief moment.

Her eyes refocused with sternness to them along with her brain throbbing again that made her look away.

Hornet grunted in annoyance. "Hey, you can at least look at me when I'm talking to you."

The doppelganger ignored her as she twitched from the pain that continued.

"Grr, fine, don't look at me. I heard it all from the interaction with you and my friends. I'm not here to keep probing you. All I want is to ask one simple question, and it's not even related to my sister."

The doppelganger continued to ignore her, but every now and then, she would look her way only for the pain to intensify.

"I can see that my being here does something to you. Then it's best if you answer my question. Why did you save me from that Siren destroyer? I know it was you. I called out for my sister and you responded." She waited for a full minute and she didn't get a response from the other woman. "My friend says that you're a Siren, but why would a Siren save someone else?"

The same song and dance continued that made Hornet feel like she was at the end of her rope. "Hmph, fine, Ash. I guess you don't want to talk." She pretended to give up and cross her arms as she turned around.

"Ash?" Said the doppelganger with a confused hesitant look.

Hornet paused briefly from hearing her sister's voice, yet she knew it wasn't from her true sister. "Yeah, Ash... your whole arm is burned up and black. Ash sounds like a good name for you to go by… or maybe charred sounds better."

"Mockery won't get you anywhere with me, I don't have a name."

"Sure you do, it's Enterprise." She knew that would ignite a fire in the doppelganger's heart.

The Pseudo-Eagle Union raised her voice in anger. "I'm not a siren, and I'm not Enterprise either. What I did back then was a reflex. You mean nothing to me," she said with a stern voice at the end.

Hornet felt a sting in her heart at the weight of those words. She not only felt a crushing blow but also a sense of confusion as to what her statement meant. "Then why don't you say that while you look at me?"

The doppelganger gritted her teeth and continued to not look her way.

Hornet gave up on her tough act and spoke with honesty about what she felt. "I don't see you as the enemy, however, you want to hurt my sister for who knows what reason. I won't let that stand."

The doppelganger forced herself to stare at the Eagle Union. Every second she did that, were like waves crashing into her. "It's the only way I'll be free..."

Hornet didn't get anywhere else after that.

**This chapter felt jam-packed with a lot of things that I felt I couldn't leave out. This chapter, along with the last one felt very heavy dialog focused, and I will try to ease up on that when the next chapter is done as the last chapter, and this one felt like part 1 and part 2. The next chapter will close off the overall setting in order to make way for the next phase of this story. I give it a lot of thought when it comes to explaining things and story flow, but I would still love to hear from all of you on how story flow is progressing. Is it understandable? Are there parts that are confusing? I also want to get feedback if you guys actually don't mind the heavy dialog focused chapters where it's just talking.**

**Thank you all for reading. I wish I could push out chapters quicker, sadly, work and other things are taking up a good portion of my time. I've lately found myself getting into a good pace with uploading once a week with either my twin seas story or my Neptunia story. Until next time, take care!**


	7. Restorative Seas

**Before we start, I want to thank a fellow reader of my story for bringing up the fact that Edinburgh and Belfast are sisters. I don't know why I wrote that part of the chapter in that way as I was somewhat aware that they were sisters- or I should have known from the start. I did mention in the first chapter that I would be taking creative liberties with this story as I'm fairly green to the world of Azur lane, however, making Edinburgh and Belfast as friends in this story was not one of those creative liberties that I had intended. As a heads up, I have altered chapter 6 slightly during Belfast's section with her sister. It's not a big change that warrants a forceful re-read of the chapter as I don't plan on having Edinburgh as a recurring character in the story. Whether you read chapter 6 again or don't: It will not make you miss out on any crucial story related stuff. I do hate flipping the table on you all that have already read it, and I hope that the small alteration isn't too disrupting.**

**Chapter 7: Restorative Seas**

The injured Eagle Union remained silent for a while when her friends had told her what had been going on. She lowered her hat from her head that made Zuikaku feel dejected. "Why didn't anyone tell me that she awoke?"

Belfast fixed her posture to address her injured friend. "We didn't want to worry you. With your surgery being tomorrow, we figured that we could have held on to that revealment until after, and maybe we could have found out more about how to cut off this bond."

Enterprise scoffed with visible anger. "Did she talk? What else did she say?"

Belfast defeatedly fixed her gaze toward the Eagle Union. "Nothing of value other than…"

"… other than basic living urges are shared, right? That's what you said earlier when you told me that this hard pressure on my forehead was because she headbutted, Zui. And it turns out that I'm not in control of my living urges as she needs to be hydrated and fed to keep myself from experiencing those. As if sharing pain wasn't enough," she said with a heaviness to her despondent words.

"Enty, please don't be mad at us. We only had good intentions," said Zuikaku.

The Eagle Union could see how destructive her attitude had undergone when she heard more dire news related to her bonding. She felt disgusted by herself due to her impulsive anger. "I know… I'm sorry for being so angry. The fact that I feel betrayed and afraid at the same time doesn't help me in the slightest."

"Do not see this as a betrayal, Enterprise. One of the reasons we didn't tell you about her waking up is that we didn't want to get you fired up for a second confrontation with her. Personally, I think that you being away from her is for the best," said Belfast sternly.

"I… I… agree with Belfast. Nothing good will come from it if you two did collide again, especially when you're still recuperating," said Zuikaku.

The Eagle Union lowered her eyes at the unavoidable truth from the two. Even now, a part of her yearned to get out of this bed and confront her counterpart with her bow raised. This aggression stemmed from many places like the topic of living urges and pain being shared. Another, and possibly stronger, was the memory that her counterpart would have killed Zuikaku and Belfast during the mirror sea incident if given the chance.

"She spoke to me," said a new voice from the entrance doorway.

All three of them looked to see Hornet, who looked deep in thought.

"Hornet…," said Enterprise.

Zuikaku and Belfast simultaneously spoke first with urgency in their voice. "W-what did she say?!"

"Well… she said that she wasn't a Siren, nor was she Enterprise. She also said that killing you would be the only way she would be free."

A sea of confusion had befallen the room.

Zuikaku was the first one to speak her mind. "What does that even mean? She's crazy if she thinks she's going to be free after killing Enty. Here's a news flash- she's going to die too If that happens!"

"Yeah, I don't get it either. The look in her eyes made me unease as if she truly believed it," said Hornet.

"She said that she wasn't a Siren and that she wasn't Enterprise? Did she add anything else to that?" Questioned the maid.

The blond twin-tailed Eagle Union hesitantly looked away before speaking. "N-no… she didn't add anything else." She wanted to tell them about what the Pseudo-Eagle Union had mentioned about her, and she also wanted to tell them that she couldn't be all bad since she had saved her from the Siren destroyer. However, she felt that they wouldn't understand and would jump to other conclusions.

Zuikaku furiously crossed her arms. "She's clearly lying. I know what I saw during the mirror sea incident. Her eyes were colored in a ghostly yellow that would make any Siren proud."

"Huh? Are you sure you weren't seeing things?"

The Sakura Empire flinched with confusion and anger from the blond's unwillingness to believe her. "Are you actually believing what she says? She might be right that she isn't Enterprise, but I'm right for knowing what I speak. Those few seconds where I saw her and believed something else will forever stay with me," she spoke those last words slowly and filled with personal pain.

"I… I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to doubt you."

"Hornet, whatever she says could be filled with lies. That statement sounds ominous and cryptic if she states that she is neither. Frankly, she's right that she isn't me," said Enterprise.

Hornet remained silent after her sister's words that left her in a confusing place in her conclusions.

She had been pulled away from her thoughts when Vestal tapped her on the shoulder shortly after arriving at Enterprise's door room. "Everyone, it's getting dark out, Enterprise should get some rest for tomorrow's surgery."

Belfast nodded with a sigh as a goodnight's rest was probably what everyone needed as most of them had grown irritable from all the drama and stress that today had brought. "Alright, Vestal. We will clear out for the night."

Regardless of the order, Belfast turned around as she was ready to chat with Enterprise for a few wonderful minutes until Vestal had to drag her out physically. She did promise Enterprise that she would be the last visitor for her tonight.

"Wait, Zui. Can you stay for a few more minutes?" The injured Eagle Union had a look that spoke that she had a matter to discuss with her.

Belfast felt the sting of those words that were painted with the tone of rejection that went against what they had planned earlier on. She didn't know what to make of the sudden change of plans, and a part of her was hurt that Enterprise had requested Zuikaku's company. Nevertheless, she vacated the room with Hornet as one look at Enterprise's face spoke that the topic was important.

Zuikaku was the only one in the room as she waited for the Eagle Union to speak.

"She is a dangerous foe, Zui. Whatever she claims or doesn't claim to be, she's out for blood in the end. About what you proposed to me earlier, I accept and allow it. I'm sure that I have nothing to worry about with you overseeing it."

Zuikaku sucked in a breath of surprise. She felt an elated joy from the response to her earlier question that they discussed privately. "Enty, you won't regret this at all. I promise you that everything will be done to break the bond. I'll get it moving tonight."

"Thank you, Zui. The part of me that feels worried about this is the old me, but if we don't trust our allies in our time of need then what's the point?"

Zuikaku felt sudden bravery to express her feelings that she had retreated from earlier. She expressed them by holding onto the left hand of the Eagle Union with tenderness. "Agreed, allow yourself to see the fruits of us being allies," she said with a big smile that made the Eagle Union smile at her with a fleeting warmness in her heart.

**(The Next Day)**

The door opened to reveal Belfast with a tray of food in her hands. Her face was unreadable, and her intentions remained masked. "Well, Miss doppelganger, since you were so thirsty last night, I suppose you would fancy something to eat?" Her voice was not full of cheerfulness, and the doppelganger could sense that she had to be on her guard.

The injured Pseudo-Eagle Union had remained awake for most of the night while she stared at the one-way mirror. Her only companions were her reflection and the growing hunger that she continued to mask as that would show weakness to her captors.

Belfast continued forward after no response from her. "Please, why do you insist on this vow of silence? I brought you pancakes, fruit, milk, and some eggs. Does this not appeal to your standards?" She would be lying if she said her statement wasn't fueled by the past experiences she had with Enterprise when she refused to eat nothing but her ration meals. To drudge up those old experiences were both wonderful and stress-inducing, however, at this moment, she leaned with stress-inducing, especially after she didn't know how to emotionally deal with what Enterprise wanted to talk so urgently with Zuikaku.

The doppelganger gazed at her then looked at the food that was intensely calling out to her. "What do you want?" She asked with venom.

Belfast rolled her eyes as a means to express her upset mood from that question. "What I want is for you to eat. There are no strings attached to this one."

The white-haired glarer searched the maid's eyes for any lies. She gave the food another glance that resonated with her, however, she refused to take any action.

Belfast grabbed her attention with a snap of her fingers. "I can see in your eyes that you hunger for food. Why must you be difficult? I do not expect anything in return from this other than you being fed." She stabbed at the pancakes that made the injured woman slightly flinch at the intensity. To make things more gripping, the maid furiously sliced her way through the triple stack.

The pancake piece hanged from the fork and had been angled toward the injured woman.

"I rather feed myself. I still have the use of one arm," stated the injured woman.

Belfast frowned at those words that reminded her of Enterprise. "You haven't earned that right to have free reign to use utensils. One can find more uses from a fork than just eating after all."

A silent scoff that translated to an old-fashioned glare shot toward the maid.

Belfast inched the fork closer and ready to use force if she had too for the sake of Enterprise. She feared that her friend would wake up soon with a hunger that she couldn't satiate. "I can see it in your eyes that dying of hunger would be unceremonious for you. Whatever you have in that mind of yours, I know that you want to live to some extent..."

The exchanged of words was enough to get the injured woman to open her mouth to take the food. Upon the first bite, a ravenous desire for more had filled the injured woman. Her next bites were filled with passion and want like this was her first time eating in a long time. She didn't fail to stress every single buttery and honey filled bite with unrivaled yearning as well as a sporadic quiet moan of content.

Belfast made no comment on this startling side from the injured woman and merely enjoyed the fact that she was eating, and at the fact that she didn't have to resort to force.

The tray sat empty with no signs of any food left. The injured woman let out a peaceful fleeting smile, if only briefly before she returned to her uninviting aura.

"Hmm, well… why bother staying longer for idle chit-chat?" With her goal completed, she left the room without another word that left a lot for the doppelganger to ponder.

**(Vestal)**

A few hours later, the preparations were now set as Vestal had brought in two stretchers into a circular room with various medical equipment encircled around the room.

Vestal picked up small and advanced tools from a metal tray that would help her with the surgery. She calmed her nerves when she turned around to face the two stretchers in the room.

One had a sleeping Enterprise, and the other had the wild-haired counterpart of Enterprise. They had both been provided with a heavy sleeping aid to avoid the awareness that they were both in the same room.

Vestal delicately cut open the bandages of Enterprise to see what she was working with. The prior day had allowed the lacerations on the arm to recover slightly as the threat of them reopening on themselves had lowered greatly.

She turned around to face Enterprise's counterpart with the same intention she had with the Eagle Union. She could see that her arm had healed exactly to the same level as the Eagle Union. An ephemeral theory entered her mind that perked her curiosity.

She began the restoration of Enterprise's arm with her advanced tools that sparked to life in her hands. A flame-like aura produced from the tool, yet it wasn't any type of heat. The aura contained healing properties used for critical repairs for shipgirls. She began to set her work in motion, and the tool came into contact with Enterprise's blackened arm.

Vestal's worried face had been replaced with a smile, as she witnessed a small portion of the black skin start to shed with intact skin color returning. "Yes! The nerves are not truly all that far gone, there's hope. Enterprise… I wasn't quick enough to save your sister's legs, but I will make sure that history doesn't repeat itself," she said to the unconscious Eagle Union.

The medical ship took her time to stabilize the condition of Enterprise's arm, and she felt confident that she reached a stopping point to switch over to the other. She gasped in wonder by her earlier theory being confirmed. She inspected the arm of the Pseudo-Eagle Union to see that parts of her blackened arm had returned with color. She held a recorder to her mouth. "Bonded twin patients, Enterprise and… not Enterprise… have shown cases of shared physical trauma most noteworthy: Nearly incinerated right arms and left arm bullet grazes from fighter planes. It has also been confirmed that hunger and thirst are shared to some degree, and cannot confirm if stamina is shared, although, sleepiness is not shared as not Enterprise was put to sleep after waking. The possibility of sensations like touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight are in the foreground of exploration if they are somehow shared."

She paused with her eyes continuing to see the scary, yet the amazing miracle in front of her. "Pain is shared, and recovery is also shared. I've been healing Enterprise's wounds and have found out that her look-alike has gone through the same healing process. This has just made things a whole lot easier," she said with her focus back to the healing treatment of Enterprise.

During that same time, another miracle had been going underway. In the docks, a large group of shipgirls had congregated in mass to witness the said miracle.

The popular destroyer group of Laffey, Javelin, Ayanami, Z23, along with Unicorn were watching the destroyed twin ships of the Enterprises. "Hey, Akashi, what's going on with those ships?" The one that spoke was Ayanami to the eccentric cat-shipgirl.

Akashi was scratching her head with a confused look, and she got startled when she heard Ayanami speak. "I don't know, nya! Akashi is always talking about how good she's at doing repairs, but it feels like there's two of me today."

Cleveland made her way past the voluminous group of shipgirls. "Akashi, I got your message, what's happening?"

"Well, you see, nya! Akashi's been working on Enterprise's ship for an hour- the one with the sticker of course, and about fifteen minutes ago, Akashi noticed what everyone else had been seeing," she said with a nod.

"Noticing what?"

Akashi puffed her cheeks. "That the other ship is getting fixed somehow, nya! And here Akashi thought that she was finally getting some recognition."

"The enemy's ship is getting repaired. What the heck is going on?"

"That's what I want to know, nya. Here, see for yourself," said the green-haired cat girl. She donned a random welder's helmet and bolted to a constructed support structure to the side of Enterprise's ship. She reached a high elevation when Cleveland witnessed sparks from a tool ignite.

Cleveland felt Unicorn tap her on the arm as she pointed to the Pseudo-Eagle Union's ship. The blond's eyes widen when she witnessed parts of the same side Akashi had been working on at the other ship, had been repairing themselves like an invisible force copying what Akashi was doing. "That's insane…," uttered Cleveland.

"It appears to be some kind of mirrored force," said Z23 with the rest of the destroyers joining Cleveland.

"It sounds… pretty convenient," said Laffey.

"This spells trouble all around, isn't that right, Cleveland?" Spoke Javelin.

"I don't even know what to think about this," said a dumbfounded Cleveland.

Akashi raced back to the group with great speed. "Hey, Akashi might have to charge double for this."

Only the implication of having to give more money made the Cleveland-class ship break free from what she had seen. "Huh?! Why should you get more, you're not even doing more work?"

"That's Akashi's handiwork- no doubt about it, nya! It doesn't matter if some unknown freaky force is copying me. Akashi requests more coin, nya!"

"Okay, okay, you'll get your coin, but can we please focus on this right now instead of that? I don't even know if we should continue," said Cleveland with a sigh.

"There's no way out of this, Cleveland, and you already know that," said another voice.

Everyone looked behind them to see Hornet walking toward them with an unreadable face.

"I take it that you saw what went down just now?" Said Cleveland.

"Yeah, I saw what went down. I'm not surprised by the fact that both ships are repairing themselves at once. Cleveland, my sister's ship is our flagship of hope, we can't consider the option of leaving it inoperable."

"I'm aware of that, but… it's a double-edged sword for us. If we don't fix it, then there goes our strongest ally, and if we do… what are the chances her twin unleashes the dogs of war on the base?"

"I don't think she would do that," said Hornet with a tiny fleeting piece of hope that she wasn't that black and white.

Cleveland looked at her with skepticism. "Are you not telling us something?"

Hornet searched in her heart for an answer to give her, but the words of the doppelganger, when she said that she meant nothing to her, left her with a void where her faith was supposed to be. "It's… a gut feeling."

Cleveland rubbed her forehead and snickered to herself. "Forget it, there isn't a choice here. This is for Enterprise at the end of the day. If we told her that she couldn't use her rig, then she'll dangerously go searching for a new one that might not be compatible with her. And I bet that the Sirens would be itching at the opportunity to go even more berserk now that she's put on the sidelines."

"Nya!"

Hornet and Cleveland jolted from shock when the green-haired catgirl had wedged herself between them with an angry face. "Akashi is not going to be swindled out of coin! You all shouldn't be talking all gravely like this anyway!" Her anger went away, and she grinned to both blonds. "Lucky for you all, I have a solution to this problem."

"Well, spit it out," remarked both blonds.

What Akashi had laid out for them was a plan that motivated both Hornet and Cleveland to begin forming. Akashi felt prideful that she was going to get the chance to test out her new toy. She proceeded to return to her work when she glanced at the command deck window of the wild-haired woman's ship. Her curiosity was too great that she figured she might as well see what kind of damage the command deck was in, considering that she hadn't checked out either one's deck.

"Hehe, nya! It's not every day that someone from the Sakura Empire gets to check out the interior of the USS Enterprise's command deck. I hope I don't get in trouble… Nah, Akashi's supposed to be rebuilding anyway, so all of this is available! Say… was something else in here?" She felt another presence in the room that made her unease of the creepy and quiet room.

The hairs on her neck spiked with fright when she heard the sound of claws scraping across metal. "Nya! Who's there!?" She pulled out a wrench and held it close to her side like a baseball bat.

"Oh… maybe this was a bad idea snooping out the command deck via the mystery Enterprise girl's ship. Curiosity did kill the cat, as the saying goes."

She pinpointed the source of the metal scratching that originated from a crevice underneath levers and buttons that made up part of the controls for the room. With cat-like stealth, she inched closer to the crevice until her eyes landed on a cage that was safely stored in that opening. "Huh, a cage?"

She didn't have enough time to think about this odd place to store a decent size animal cage when the cage door burst open.

"Ah!" She lost her own balance, allowing for a shadowy creature to make its escape from the shattered command window.

Akashi shook the stars in her eyes and pulled out a flashlight from her person. The light shined into the animal cage that had unknowingly become vacant. "M-maybe that was the wind- ah, that can't be it at all, nya! I better go tell someone about this!"

She hastily bolted out of the creepy room and if she had stayed for a few seconds longer, she would have seen the animal cage dematerialize from reality with its inhabitant no longer in there.

**(Unknown)**

She was back to her old stomping grounds or more like stomping seas. She stood motionless once again with no thoughts in her mind. Then everything unpaused, and the sky ignited with light. The roaring sounds of fighter planes brought her into focus toward her dark sea in the cover of night. A formation of her planes had emerged from the light in the air and flown past her to engage a faceless enemy in the shadows.

She observed her surroundings to find the dark sky exploding with fire that was a result of her planes colliding with unknown objects. This event triggered her to realize that the sea was also riddled with fire, letting her know that this was a warzone.

A faceless dark outline had appeared from the darkness with their sword raised to meet the idle carrier.

The Pseudo-Eagle Union evaded the slash with her bow held up high. Her battle senses had returned; sharper than ever.

The dark outline was ruthless in its attacks that mildly forced the pseudo to give some ground. The sparks from the clashing of metal from their weapons gave them a sliver of light, it was unfortunate that the fires that riddled the sea were far away that their light couldn't reach them.

Their fight didn't last when a good deflection from her bow had caused the dark outline to lose their sword into the unforgiving sea.

Their throat was then grabbed by the wild-haired woman who lifted them from the water effortlessly.

They struggled for freedom for however long they had when they were thrown aside to be hit by a fighter plane that had been ordered by the pseudo to do a ramming tactic.

Nothing was left from them after the collision had turned them into dust.

All around the pseudo, more bodies had been produced from the corners of the shadows were the light of the fires had stopped reaching. These bodies were briefly revealed to be Sakura Empire by the way they were dressed. The cause of an extra light source was the final fighter planes exploding from both her and the Sakura Empire shipgirls that had fallen in battle. The burning scrapped metal rained from the sky that shined light near where her battle with the dark outline had concluded. Floating in the water, she saw a katana that she remembered from somewhere. Her eyes widened at the knowledge that this encounter didn't make sense to her as someone else that had that blade had fallen before.

Her intuition was on red alert when the blaring alien-like sound that she was familiar with in some way, had filled her world again. She turned around to see the vague outline of a massive ship that the fires of the forgotten battle couldn't do justice.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of the three lights from before that turned into a massive cannon that was aimed toward her.

Her instincts told her to pull out her bow instead of fleeing, but it didn't make sense as to why they would tell her that. The faint memory of challenging this thing that resulted in her…

The conclusion to that was too mind-shattering for her. During her internal reasoning, her arrow had already flown toward the challenging blast that headed her way. The same pain as before overrode all her sensations as she fell into the harsh waves.

Darkness clouded her world again, and in the next second, her eyes were open back to the same medical room that she had been before. Her breath had sharpened with heightened anxiety as she weakly scanned the room to find herself alone with the sounds of the machine monitor being the only indicator of the passage of time.

She shut her eyes to repress the nightmare or memory that had left her broken. She shifted her focus to her injured arm that looked different than before. While she was still numb due to the heavy pain medicine they had her on, she could still barely make out from her angle that she had some movement in her arm and fingers again from the way the newly heavily bandaged surface near her fingers shifted. Her heart elevated when her eyes followed something metal in the corner of her eye near her chest. She desperately tried to get a read on what it was, but her left arm had been restrained with straps like the rest of her body, minus the neck and head area.

Her only good view was being able to see that metal had covered her chest area like a breastplate.

The doors of her room opened with the Royal Navy maid and Sakura Empire swordswoman from before entering.

"How are you feeling? It's been a few hours since we last spoke," said the maid with a genuinely concerned tone of voice.

The injured woman mildly scoffed at her question and looked away for she had other worries than entertaining these two fools that she saw with her eyes.

"Not sure that she even has a good side to get on, so stop wasting your breath," said Zuikaku.

"What is this thing on me?" Her words were quick to the point that spoke volumes that she wanted to have interactions down to a minimum.

"Oh, what's this? Do you have a question?!" Zuikaku smirked playfully while she moved forward with a laidback pace. "Wouldn't you like to know… maybe we can exchange you that answer when you finally give us answers to our questions."

The white-haired woman grunted with a glare toward the Sakura Empire.

"Let see, Hornet already told us about the vague reason you want Enterprise dead, and she told us that you weren't a Siren- even though I saw those ghostly yellow eyes for myself."

Visible confusion painted the face of the injured woman with hints of fear and unease. "You what? You're lying!"

Zuikaku and Belfast were taken aback by the sudden emotions that had poured out of the proverbial death-glarer.

"Lying?! I know what I saw, you Siren! Or what? You're being so cryptic just like them with your whole, 'I'm not a Siren, and I'm not Enterprise either,' mumbo jumbo."

"I refuse to acknowledge her as a part of me, and I don't need to explain myself to you on why I want her dead," angrily spoke the injured woman.

"Funny, she sees you the same way. Then how about the data being turned into you?"

"I… don't… that was Purifier who would know that. I never asked for this, only that I wish to be free from all this. Her death… is what feels right to me."

Zuikaku felt the urge to punch her across the face, but Belfast held her arm back, as she knew right away from her shaky fist.

"Keep your anger in check, she clearly either doesn't want to tell us anything or is in denial of everything," said the maid.

"Pfft, at this point you could also say that she doesn't know anything, but I don't believe that at all," said the brown-haired woman.

The injured woman returned to her silence with a new concern that entered her mind aside from wanting to extinguish Enterprise. She wasn't a Siren, that's what she told herself.

Belfast felt a modicum of pity for the Pseudo-Eagle Union as her face was full of concern that almost appeared to match the Enterprise that she loved. However, she wasn't Enterprise, and she was the enemy. "Let us go. If she doesn't want to tell us anything, then she's smart, she'll figure out her predicament for herself."

"No, she's pissing me off every second that she refuses the truth. I can't harm her but telling her this will be the sweetest thing close to it. That device that's strapped to you, that's an experimental rig designed by a certain cat friend of mine called the limiter rig. It's a rig with no type of armaments and the bare bone structure of a rig design. What it truly does is it disrupts the signal between shipgirl and compatible ship vessels that are nearby." Zuikaku enjoyed the revealment when she witnessed the doppelganger stood rigid from her situation. "Yeah, from that widened look of yours, I can tell that you already put the pieces together. Your imitation ship is here on the base, of course, don't think that you'll be merging with it anytime soon as it's pretty beat up. We also have it bolted down to the dock, so if the autopilot comes back on, it won't go anywhere. I trust Akashi's rig project to be more than enough, but you can't be too careful."

The doppelganger oddly chuckled once she had gotten over the shocking news. "You talk too much. More than enough, you say. We shall see about that, Sakura Empire," she said with glaring eyes toward the swordswoman.

Zuikaku hated her. She found it hideously messed up that she could truly hate someone to a severe extent, and love someone else that shared the same face.

**(Somewhere else)**

The destroyer friends composed of Laffey, Javelin, Z23, and Ayanami were sitting near a park table with colorful paper, colors, glitter, stickers, and markers tossed on the table.

Unicorn was the one who was making use of all the materials on the table as she was in the process of making a get-well card for Enterprise.

Unicorn's friends were directing her on what things she should apply on the card.

"Make the borders more colorful," urged Z23.

"More… glitter," said Laffey.

"You can never have too many stickers," said Ayanami.

"Markers will give your lines more color and boldness," said Javelin.

Unicorn wasn't rude to any of their comments and took in all of them to create a combined masterwork that could potentially move the strongest Eagle Union.

Their friendly moment was interrupted when they heard a malicious cry from the skies. In the air, an eagle flew at a distance that was hard to make out its features.

"Isn't that… Enterprise's bird?" Remarked Javelin with her hands over her eyes to get a better view.

"Why is it crying out in that way?" Replied Z23.

"Maybe it's sad that Enterprise is wounded, and doesn't know what to do to help," said Unicorn with a frown at the bird's anguish.

Their personal conclusions were left undecided as the eagle removed itself from their sight.

**(Enterprise)**

A few more hours had gone by when the Eagle Union began to stir from her sleep. On initial glance, she noticed that her sister was sleeping soundly in a chair near her. She broke out a smile at the fact that her sister was getting much-needed rest after spending the majority of last night awake. She weakly moved her body upward to get into a seating position, and she quickly realized that her bandaged arm didn't bleed as it did before. Filled with anxious curiosity about what happened with the surgery, she was compelled to wake up her sister when the door opened to reveal Vestal.

"E-Enterprise?! It's good to see that you're awake. I brought food for Hornet, but I'm sure she won't mind if you eat it," she said with a smile.

"Vestal… what happened when I was out?"

Vestal had set the food on a table that she brought close to Enterprise. She made sure not to disturb Hornet's slumber as she knew that she needed this rest. After that, she placed a chair near Enterprise's bed. "Eat or else I won't tell you anything," she said with a commanding voice that still invoked a friendly playfulness to it.

Enterprise released a big smile at the medical ship, and she got her utensils ready as her first target on the tray of food was the meat portion.

When Vestal had enough time to see the Eagle Union devour the food, she decided to speak. "Your arm will recover, Enterprise. It will take some time to fully heal, and the pain will be difficult. I do recommend that we keep you on sleeping aid to help you during the night. Pain medicine will have to go as it will conflict with future treatments, I'm afraid. Physical therapy on that arm will also be needed if you wish to restore your archer's tempo and aim."

Enterprise silently nodded to all of that as she still had food in her mouth. She swallowed it down and spoke, "How bad was it?"

"It was not great. This is the most severe injury you have had. We were lucky that the nerves were still responsive, it would have been a lost cause if otherwise."

"Thank you, Vestal. I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't have to. My top priority is the wellbeing of both Hornet and you. You already thank me every day that you no longer recklessly throw yourself at the wolfs like you used to."

They had reached a silent state of understanding for both. Despite all the pain and hardship that had accumulated in a short amount of time, there was still hope in the form of her arm getting better that made Enterprise tackle the future to come… even if that future was one she had to share with her mysterious doppelganger.

**So, I originally wanted to have this chapter be the last one until I shifted to the next phase of this story. Sadly, I felt that I needed to break it up to allow the pacing of the story to flow better as it would feel too jarring to brute force my way with more details to follow in the same chapter. I do plan to get the next one out quickly, so be on the lookout for that one.**


	8. Observe

**Chapter 8: Observe**

The later part of the day and night had gone by like a blink of an eye. Enterprise remained in bed rest, Zuikaku and Belfast remained on alert for any moves that the Pseudo-Eagle Union might do as they waited with seized breaths that the limiter rig might not be enough.

In the end, they were a little relieved that the night had gone without issues.

It was the start of a new day where the air around the base had changed. To some, it didn't feel any different to any other day, but to others, like Cleveland, she could tell that something was going on at the dock.

The blond-haired Eagle Union had run out on her breakfast of toast and eggs when she received an urgent update from Akashi.

She reached the dock where one of the USS Enterprises had been bolted to the dock with large metal claw-like restraints that wrapped around it. She saw the cat-ship girl standing in a daze with the wrench loosely hanging off her hand.

"Hey, Akashi, what's the update?"

Akashi looked nervously toward the Eagle Union, and it looked like she wasn't happy with what she had to come clean about. "Well, do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

Cleveland felt a sweatdrop on her cheek, and her throat grew dry. "I'll take the bad news first."

Akashi slumped her shoulders in defeat, and her lip trembled with nervousness. "The creepy Enterprise lady's ship is trying to change shape."

Cleveland didn't need any further explanation as she witnessed firsthand, the words the cat-shipgirl had uttered.

The sound of screeching metal filled the air of the dock as if it was trying to conform to a different shape. The ship itself appeared to violently shake with a slow and determined motion to fulfill the new shape that it needed to please. The metal made one last effort to bend to the new shape, fortunately, it grew dormant as if nothing had happened after its struggle.

"It was trying to change to its rig form!" The blood inside the blond Eagle Union ran cold and her feet almost gave out on her.

"Yeah, nya! I don't know how but her will is scarily strong to bypass the signal disruption and to have a faint connection established with her ship. My limiter rig is doing its job but it's still an experimental project after all," lectured Akashi.

"I guess that's what we get for settling on a prototype project."

Akashi turned red with anger at the dismissive comment. "Akashi's limiter rig hasn't failed. It's performing at the rate that was predicted, which… I guess that's the good news. If it was any other, then you wouldn't see this stressing of the rig. She's too mentally strong for this prototype after all."

Cleveland closed her eyes with her arms crossed. "She's doing this, which means she's planning to attack the base- so much for Hornet's pacifist optimism. Will this hold or will she break the disruption?"

"I... I can't be for sure, Miss Cleveland. The data from the rig is showing that it's stressing itself from keeping it from changing forms. If only we could increase the distance between girl and ship, then the limiter rig would be able to relax."

Cleveland narrowed her eyes in frustration. While that was a simple idea on initial thought, she could assume that Azur lane wasn't big enough to provide that distance. Her thoughts were interrupted when she spotted an odd shape on the corner of her eyes just beyond the background of her vision. When she focused her gaze on the location where she suspected for the odd shape to be in, which was an antenna from a nearby building, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Akashi perked up from the odd head glance. "What are you looking at?"

"I don't know. For a second there, I thought that something was looking at me- like a bird."

"You saw it too!? I told you that Akashi wasn't crazy."

"If you're talking about the cage thing that you mentioned, we checked it out and found no such thing in the command deck, Akashi."

"What?! You cat to be kitten me! There was a cage in there!"

"I don't know what to say. I did have a feeling that something was looking at me, but it could have been anything or maybe I'm being paranoid."

During that same time, at the medical room of the doppelganger, she was asleep on the bed with her closed eyes expressing that they were shifting left and right underneath her eyelids.

She was in an odd state between lucid and obscurity in her mind as her dream was different compared to the other ones she had. In this one, she was flying with nothing but air underneath her. Her ship was visible to her that looked beat up yet no longer critical like it once was. She was perched on an antenna that overlooked her ship and she tried to command it to bend to her will. She noticed a green-haired girl and a blond-haired girl that was talking about her with urgency.

She heard bits and pieces of their conversation right before the blond looked her way. The dream-like vision disconnected as she no longer felt securely connected to the creature that she had been sharing eyesight with.

Just before the connection was completely severed, she heard a malicious cry from the inhabitant she shared sight with, then she saw the reflection of the creature in the water as it fled from the dock area to another location on the base.

Her eyes slowly opened with an unknowingly faint glow of yellow to them. This was an odd state of union with the other creature that understood her pain and hardship better than anyone else knew, yet was still a pleasant one, nonetheless. Her desperation to take advantage of this connection outweighed her growing question of how she had been able to establish this form of sight. "Relax... your feelings are understood. Observe... for now," she said to the empty room. Something inside her told her that her winged companion could hear her within these walls.

She had learned a lot from the shared sight of her winged companion like verifying her ship's condition that was still needing repairs and the fact that it was being repaired simultaneously with her counterpart.

An hour later, Cleveland had made her way to Enterprise's room to lay out the recent events that unfolded. Everyone had been inside the room including Belfast, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Hornet.

"That's pretty much what we are facing here. Her ship is reluctantly being repaired along with yours, and Akashi's rig is barely holding back the connection between her ship.

Enterprise silently nodded as she had gained a jaded expression on her face. After being told about the basic living urges, she wouldn't be surprised now if their breaths had become synched with each other. "I see. Don't worry, Cleveland. Vestal had already eased me in on some of the explanations and theories that she uncovered during the surgery. Besides, if the distance is the key to keep helping that suppression rig, then all the more reason for what Zuikaku and I talked about."

Hornet, Belfast, and Cleveland all stood confused as to what she meant.

The room felt like it had silently been divided with Enterprise, Zuikaku, and Shoukaku on one side and the rest on the other.

At that moment, the door opened to reveal two black-haired women with white officer uniforms from the Sakura Empire.

"I apologize for the delay. We were planning on being here yesterday, but we had to wait for Nagato's approval," spoke the one at the front that had bangs and a long ponytail with a white ribbon.

"Hi, hi! The reinforcements have arrived," happily spoke the one behind her that had a mole on her right cheek and long flowing black hair. She also had black pointed and furry ears and both women had golden-colored eyes.

Zuikaku jumped forward to greet them both. "Takao and Atago! It's great that you're finally here."

"Excuse me, what's the meaning of this?" Said both Cleveland and Belfast. While they didn't find Sakura Empire roaming the base of Azur lane to be strange these days, these two were always busy with work and were never here unless it was a business call.

Takao folded her arms defensively. "It looks like our presence here was unexpected. We are here to transfer the injured Eagle Union prisoner to the Sakura Empire."

Cleveland scrunched up her face with distaste. "We might be allies now but who gave you the right to do that!?"

"I did," said Enterprise with her eyes focused toward Cleveland.

Everyone looked at her with Hornet, Belfast, and Cleveland being the ones left in shock.

"You what?! Enterprise... are you sure that was a good idea?"

"I've never been surer. The old me would have never agreed to this deal but the Sakura Empire has shown that they are trustworthy allies that no longer pursue the progression of Siren tech."

Takao smiled softly at the praise. "You really flatter us, Enterprise. Trust is tied to our honor and we would never betray that."

"Didn't you betray the Sirens?" Replied Cleveland with narrow eyes at the Sakura Empire heavy cruiser

Atago was ready to explode with a full lecture but Takao held her hand out gracefully to hold her back. "There was never trust with the Sirens only manipulation from their end. And an unhealthy sinister gain from both sides that was unsustainable. Our allies in Azur lane along with the Orochi battle brought a lot of perspective on how we should continue for the survival of the Sakura Empire going forward."

"While we appreciate the assist on our missions from Iron Blood and Sakura Empire, this prisoner is a personal Azur lane matter that's very delicate."

"No, Cleveland. This is an Enterprise matter; it's always been that way," said the white-haired carrier.

Cleveland was taken aback by what she heard. "Enterprise, we don't need to involve them in this matter."

"They are our allies. I agree that trust is very important. This is my decision in the end as the acting Eagle Union leader that oversaw that mission. She's basically a pale imitation of me that falls to me to decide with."

"Ent... If the distance is the real issue, we can send her to the Royal Navy or one of their bases, right Belfast?" Asked Cleveland.

Belfast remained silent as this wasn't her place to argue. She understood now what Zuikaku and she had been talking about and how it made sense for this logical move.

"Cleveland, you know just as well as I do that if we send her off to the Royal Navy, they won't know what to do other than keeping her locked up. This would be the black mental cube all over again, a bunch of black box unanswered questions. At the Sakura Empire, not only would distance be a factor, but they are also versed in Siren matters that could help us find a way to break this bond," said Enterprise.

"She's right. While we no longer mass produce siren ships, we still hold the knowledge to Siren biology and engineering for record-keeping. Our facilities are also more than equipped to study and holding personnel," explained Takao.

"Yes, please trust us, Miss Cleveland. Would you like me to hug you to prove our trust?" Said Atago with eagerness.

A panicked face appeared from Takao. "We are trying to get them to trust us not the opposite!" Cried the ponytail swordswoman.

"Grrr... fine, there isn't a logical reason to object to this with only past paranoia taking center stage. However, the doppelganger's ship is going to stay right here where it belongs," remarked Cleveland.

"Of course, If what Zuikaku's report claims to be true, this mystery woman has all of Enterprise's abilities. It would be wise to keep her far away from her firepower. The last thing we want is an attack on the Sakura Empire after we have reduced so much of our forces."

"See, Miss Cleveland? We no longer depend on mass-produced siren ships, so Iron Blood along with Royal Navy and Eagle Union are helping us fill our slots during missions."

Cleveland, once again, couldn't argue at all as what Atago had said was true.

Hornet stepped forward with a resolve that she achieved during her silence from the whole conversation. "Cleveland, my sister seems to have given this a lot of thought as she would. Zui and Shou will make sure that nothing nefarious happens to the doppelganger, but if that isn't enough for you… then rest assured that I will also be there to keep watch."

Everyone looked at Hornet with a silence of shock.

"Sister-"

"Nope, if you're going to talk me out of going, then you can forget it, Ent. I've made up my mind and this is what I feel is right. I want to protect you with all I've got, which means I need to be where the action is. Face it, you don't need my protection on this side anyway."

"It's not about my protection, Hornet. You're are my sister and that's enough reason to have you around… however, I can see that I won't be able to talk you out of this, so be careful," said Enterprise with a tone full of sisterly concern.

Hornet didn't mean to sound insensitive to her sister's feelings, but this was something that she had to do to not only ensure her sister's health but for the mystery woman that she inevitably shared a small connection with. This connection was odd for her as to where they stood, only that it was there because she had saved her regardless of what harsh words, she spewed back at her. She sternly looked at the black-haired sisters. "Is that going to be a problem if I tag along?"

"Not at all. Nagato wouldn't mind having an Eagle Union stay at the Sakura Empire just like Azur lane has done for our kind here. We can find you a place to briefly live at, and while we do that, you can stay with us in our dorm," said Takao with kind expression toward the blond.

"But sister! That's our sister time!" Moaned Atago as she held onto Takao by her arm.

Takao recoiled on impulse and shook her away before she embarrassed her further with an inevitable hug. "Every second with you is 'sister time!'"

Atago pouted yet agreed to the terms her sister had set with the blond Eagle Union.

Takao cleared her throat before she returned to her diplomatic role in all this. "Enterprise, now that we have established our intentions, may we see what we will be dealing with?"

Takao and Atago were brought to the room of the doppelganger by Vestal that housed the one-way mirror.

The medical ship had been informed of the recent news by everyone else when she had made her way to Enterprise's room. She looked at the two Sakura Empire sisters. "As you can see, she has maintained the same injury that Enterprise had received during the mirror sea incident. She also seems to share many responses from pain to sensations that are still being concluded on. I ask you that you make sure she is treated decently and fed accordingly. Also, while the treatments that Enterprise will undergo will also heal her counterpart, I strongly recommend that treatment is maintained on her end as well, just in case."

"That won't be a problem and we accept all of that. Aside from being able to freely roam, she's going to have standardized human rights," said Takao. She walked closer to the one-way mirror to get a better look at the counterpart of Enterprise. "She looks a little rough around the edges, but I can see a warrior's spirit inside her that rivals the Grey Ghost," she said with a warrior's smile filled with excitement.

Atago and Takao opened the door to the room.

The doppelganger had her eyes closed, and she opened them with annoying frustrations to more visitors. Her mood changed when she caught the sight of the two high ranking Sakura Empire shipgirls. "More Sakura Empire riff-raff?" She said with a mocking tone of voice.

Atago looked ready to pull the injured woman's ear violently, and she would have done it too if her sister didn't hold her hand out to stop her.

"The only undesirable here is you… but let's not name call ourselves during our first-time meeting. I am Takao, the first ship of the Takao-class heavy cruisers."

"- and I'm Atago, the second ship of the Takao-class heavy cruisers," angrily stated the other woman.

"-yes, don't take us so lightly as we have traversed countless battlefields under our power," stated the black legging user that was Takao.

The Pseudo-Eagle Union scoffed insultingly with no other response to their introduction.

Takao continued to smile at the defiant nature of the wild-haired woman. "I can see that you are not one for stimulating conversation- I admire that. You have an indomitable spirit that even in this broken state, is not truly defeated. I only wish that we could have met under different circumstances to be able to test our might."

"You talk big. Nothing stands defiant in front of me for long," said the wild-haired woman with a dangerous glare toward her.

Takao never faltered from those words. "You sure know what to say to light a fire in a warrior's heart. Our paths were fated to cross; it would seem. I'm looking forward to our continued interactions as prisoner and guard."

"I see… I guess the Eagle Union can no longer stomach this cruel reality."

"Don't see it like that, think of it as new beginnings," said Takao.

That one statement had stirred a storm of interest toward this Sakura Empire. She would never allow herself to respect anyone that don the Sakura Empire title with honor, but she was different. She was a fighter that searched for the perfect opponent to test her blade on, even if it would mean her death. Her cavalier nature to her possible end was one to respectfully acknowledge before she would extinguish her.

It wasn't long when she was unstrapped from the bed that had become her world and restrained by Atago and Takao. The one known as Atago had gone rather handsy with the doppelganger, and ironically enough, the wild-haired woman was grateful for the rig she was imprisoned in that kept her from feeling anything vital. Vestal had made sure to inject her with a relaxant aid that dulled her strength to make it less harmful for the doppelganger as the medical ship didn't want her to hurt herself in an attempted counterattack.

She was placed in a wheelchair with straps to her left hand and legs.

"Your one-way ticket to the Sakura Empire awaits, darling!" Said Atago sweetly.

They wheeled her out of the room and into the hallway.

The injured woman desperately tried to find a way out of this predicament that she didn't foresee yet could not find an opening with her current state that silently infuriated her.

"Watch your eyes," said Takao as she placed a protective hand on the injured woman's forehead to block the sunlight when they exited out of the medical building.

The light felt blinding that the injured woman did feel grateful for the assistance, of course, she would never admit it. When she felt adjusted to the light from outside that had been days since she had seen, she looked around to see various shipgirls that halted their daily tasks to see the living anomaly that was her. She kept her head down as she was aware that seeing anyone could cause her unexplained head-throbbing headaches to ensue.

She gazed to the sky and what she saw off in the distance was her faithful eagle, who silently observed with an itching urge to strike down the people around its injured master.

The injured woman connected her gaze from the vast distance between them to express that her order from before had not changed. "Observe," she uttered silently that only Takao managed to overhear.

"Hmm? Have something to say?" Asked Takao that earned her no response.

The doppelganger's eyes darted to her right when she saw the last person that she least expected. The atmosphere around her grew heavy when she witnessed Enterprise sitting in a wheelchair like hers accompanied by the royal maid from before.

They exchanged a silent glance of distaste and loathing for the other that didn't convey their overall hatred for the other.

She then passed her without any words being uttered, and then she came face to face with the brown-haired woman from her interrogations that was accompanied by a white-haired Sakura Empire woman.

The swordswoman carrier took the lead without any interaction toward the injured woman as they reached the dock that housed four Sakura Empire warships.

Takao walked up to the brown-haired carrier with a hand to her shoulder. "We will be using your ship as transport. The rest will maintain rig form for any immediate battles that we might face."

"Sounds good to me," said the carrier.

"Hey, wait for me," said another voice from behind them.

The doppelganger slowly widened her eyes in realization to the voice that she heard. She turned her head sideways to see Hornet walking toward them with a duffle bag that sparked the injured woman's curiosity. She quickly looked away as her throbbing pain flooded her mind when the distance became too close, and she was able to look at her face.

Hornet stopped, and she grimaced to the typical reaction from the injured woman. "Going to a new place can always be a challenge. Maybe having a familiar face around can lighten that burden," she said with a compassionate tone.

The doppelganger scoffed through her pain that made a dent in Hornet's heart that the blond didn't express. "Shouldn't your sister need you more?" She barked coldly away from Hornet.

"She does… this is me supporting my sister," she said with undertones that left her statement open for interpretation.

The injured woman softened her standard glare-fueled face briefly with a shadow of acceptance in her eyes before she snuffed it out with cold indifference.

"Hornet, will you be riding with us?" Asked Takao.

"Nah, I'll follow you all on my ship. It's going to be crowded anyway on board, and I have a feeling that our passenger is going to be painfully restless during the trip there if I'm around." Her words had caused a shifted expression from the doppelganger that appeared similar to that of sorrow. It couldn't be verified as she maintained a furrowed expression to her overall expressions that she did show.

The ships soon began to move, and the injured woman gave Azur lane one last look before they took her inside the vessel. While she should be in a state of relief that she wasn't going to be in a state of mental pain from faces that chipped away at her mind, she knew that where she would be going would be the land of the ones in which she had a history within her past.

She pushed that aside for now as she had to center her mind on the only reasons that mattered, killing Enterprise.

For that, her winged companion would be instrumental in setting her ambition into motion.

**Well, there you have it, everyone! Part 2 will have the setting being mostly in the Sakura Empire. There will be parallel stories between Enterprise and her counterpart as they are the main characters, and I want to do chapters in which they have some more development done before they have to square off and deal with their conflict.**

**I'm also interested in making the romance work that is going on with Zuikaku and Belfast as they find their way of letting their feelings be known to Enterprise in this hard ordeal she's going through. **

**The next chapter might take a while to come out since there are still small holes in my story outline that I want to fill with more impactful events. Plus, I find myself feeling like the story changes a small amount when I'm writing that naturally works for me, so I have to adjust my outline accordingly. Thank you for reading and see you next time!**


	9. Land of the Rising Sun

**Chapter 9: Land of the Rising Sun**

**(Unknown)**

Her world was a wretched reality composed of a dark sea filled with nothing but endless fighting. Like every other battle, she stood victorious once again over her enemies that laid floating all around her. Her wounds scattered all over her body to show the level of strife she had endured. They were not fatal, yet they did succeed in slowing her down.

Her wounds eventually made her succumb to a random rock stationed in the middle of her dark sea. It was at that moment that she released her breath that she had been trying her hardest to control as well as the pain flowing through her. Her head hanged low to observe that a bloody wound that she disregarded as nothing had produced a dangerous amount of blood. Her head raised with a heaviness to her neck as the reality began to sink in.

Her battle that she had concluded was a hard-fought one as her enemies discarded their honor and respect of a proper fight to challenge the mad archer. Just like her, they had seen that fighting without restraint was the path to victory, however, unlike her, they were engulfed in their fiery hatred before they could carry out the savage fruits of their maddened state that made the archer woman into a deadly force.

A chuckle broke the silence of the air that came from the wild-haired woman. She lifted her head high to mock the cruel reality of their struggle. She wondered what had triggered her enemies to desperate measures such as the savage nature of a berserker.

The thought of pushing them to their breaking point was a good guess to explain their actions in the battle. Although, she felt that wasn't the answer as they would have had no regrets dying in battle from a worthy enemy.

No, it would have had to be something grander, and bigger than their desires for a final fight. Something opposite of selfish that she lacked an understanding to.

Her smile faltered as a unique smell filled her nostrils. It was something that she had a hard time describing that didn't belong in her dark sea where only pain and sorrow resided. It all didn't make sense. If she had to be smelling something, then it would have to be the metallic smell of her blood, but this smelled too sweet.

The dark sea then gained a light source composed of various smaller light sources that floated on the water and were slowly approaching her.

Her unfocused eyes stood transfixed at the glowing light sources that turned out to be petals with a luminescent quality to them. A few turned to countless that approached her with an intimidating feel to their numbers.

They passed her on the rock that had almost covered her dark sea with a pink aura that stemmed from the glowing petals.

"Cherry Blossoms?" Her mind had managed to form the name as to what she had been smelling and seeing. The darkness in front of her parted away, to reveal a glowing homeland of lanterns and Sakura Empire aesthetic architecture.

It all made sense now as to why her enemies had fought to the point of insanity against her. All their struggles were the result of them wanting to keep her away from their homeland.

Her expression was speechless that she ended up at the doorstep of her enemies' homeland. Her face wanted to split itself between a sadistic laugh and a disgusted one.

Her bow found itself being raised, packed with enough force to level something worthy of being destroyed.

This is what she wanted. If the enemy was eradicated at its core, then her endless war would start to show signs of waning. Her arrow released toward the homeland of the Sakura Empire that caused a chain reaction of explosions until the homeland was no more.

Her held breath released as she experienced the warm glow of heat off in the distance that did not comfort her in the slightest. She found out that she couldn't justify her sadistic laugh from before as she weighed her action on a scale that she never measured with before.

In the Sakura Empire, they were her enemies, but the death of the kids and innocent ones that never assaulted her was like a stain on her soul that would forever keep her as the harbinger of death.

In the end, her true enemy was the warriors of their homeland that forced her to fight for her life. A single tear fell from her face and her bow dropped from her hand.

"What's this? Compassion? Empathy? No… sympathy, yes. Oh, little one, don't you know that makes you weak?" A disembodied voice rang throughout the dark sea. The white-haired archer widened her eyes in shock, and she searched around for the new threat.

"Hmm, I don't like this sudden emotion from her. Begin immediate expungement of this scenario. Erase... everything until she's back to zero."

The cold computerized voice sent a chill down her spine that put into words, would be as if death had placed a hand on her. Her ears started to hurt to the point of bleeding when a familiar alien-like sound originated from the corners of the dark sea.

The massive warship that hid its identity was once again in her sights.

"Why? Why does this keep happening to me?!" She yelled at the top of her lungs to no one.

The ship aimed its cannon toward her and destructively fired.

This time, the white-haired woman closed her eyes to peacefully except her unchangeable fate.

The disembodied voice spoke one last time as she drowned into the darkest depth of the sea. "Hmm, she didn't fight back... even though she should have. Perform deeper analysis to find out the cause of this irregularity. Continue with reset and observe future actions closely. Little toy... are you perhaps... remembering things?"

The sweat-inducing lucid dream or memory faded as she sunk deeper into the abyss. Darkness engulfed her senses until it changed tones from harsh darkness to indifferent darkness.

She opened her eyes to find herself looking at the ceiling. Sweat drenched her face and her breath was rapid. For that brief second of opening her eyes, she held no immediate glare or frown. Instead, a fearful one filled with uneasy confusion that painted her face.

"Looks like you're finally awake," spoke a sickeningly sweet voice that was a complete opposite of the voice she heard in her dream-like state.

The injured archer backed away to the corner wall where her bed ended to gain as much distance from the voice. She then locked gazes toward the Sakura Empire woman known as Atago.

"Don't be scared, my sweet. It looks like you were having a bad nightmare- your shirt looks drenched in sweat. Well, not to worry. A bath can be drawn for you when we get home."

"S-shut up, you're so annoying," spoke the white-haired woman with her good hand covering one of her ears. She was still rattled by the dream that she had, and Atago talking to her was not making her transition to being awake any easier.

Atago puffed her cheek. She then swallowed her intense distaste for the woman's sharp tongue. "It must get tiring pushing people away like this. The hurt in your eyes tells me that a hug could do great wonders," she said with her arms held out.

"What is it with you and hugs? Get out!" Yelled the injured woman.

"Now, I can't possibly do that. My sister tasked me with the job of getting you out of the room. We're are nearing home, and it's unavoidable that someone is going to have to do the dirty work."

The counterpart of Enterprise lowered her good arm that had been placed on the side of her head to drown out the irritating noises in the room. Her frustrated breaths changed to a scoff exhaled. "And what? Are you the one who they deemed as expendable? Only in your dreams would you possibly be able to take me out of this room," she said with a small delirious smirk.

It was hard for her to transition between dreams and reality as in her dreams, she was a force to be reckoned with as she should be, however, reality could be quite rude at times.

Atago pretended to look hurt at the bashing of her physical prowess. "Your words do have a sharp edge to them- well… we won't know until we try, right?" She moved forward with her sunny smile never changing.

The injured woman refused to be overpowered, regardless of her current state. She grabbed the drenched pillow and threw it at the Sakura woman.

Atago shifted her body quickly to avoid the horrible encounter. Her eyes landed toward the white-haired woman right as she witnessed a foot coming her way. The Sakura Empire woman dodged that, too, and held a firm grip on the foot. "Oh, my…" She giggled at the attempt and pulled the foot that caused the injured woman to slide away from the bed.

The pseudo-Eagle Union braced for the impact of the hard floor until she found herself being lifted bridal style.

"You must still be weak from the shot that medical ship gave you, and I can understand how your overall condition could still cause you to be sluggish in your movement," she giggled with a joyful bounce to her action that even caused her chest to bounce double the effort that she put in.

"Let… me go!" Yelled the injured woman. She tried to hit her with her good elbow, but she was too slow. Her struggles were in vain, and she found herself dropped onto the wheelchair used from before. The straps then snapped in place that sealed her future struggles.

"Please don't look at me like that, my sweet. If you were cooperative, I wouldn't need to use those straps. This is also to keep you from hurting yourself too."

"-the only one that's going to be hurting is you!"

Atago frowned at the response. "You won't get the chance to fulfill that remark as you are very injured. In fact, why don't you save those words for my sister? She seems to have a soft spot for challenging words like those." She ended her words with a follow-up smile at the injured woman.

They both made their way past the wooden flooring hallway, and out through a metal door that brought them into the light.

The injured woman winched from the radiating flares of the sun.

"Oops, I guess I should have covered your eyes like my sister did- silly me." The humorful tone of voice was not lost on the white-haired woman.

She turned her head to the right and her heart almost turned inside out at the sight of the Sakura Empire homeland. A fleeting pain of guilt, grief, and confusion filled her, especially after having the dangerously real nightmare that she had.

"I hope your sleep was enjoyable." Another voice pulled her out of her drowning emotions, and the one that did it was the other sister, Takao. She walked up to them with a hopeful smile that irritated the injured woman.

"Dear sister, her having an enjoyable sleep could be the understatement of the year. With all the thrashing she put that poor bed through, I'm surprised that she didn't hurt herself."

Takao placed a hand on her chin, pondering the statement. "Bad dreams? Hmm, very interesting to be showing such a human emotion from someone who is being painted as a Siren."

A murderous glare ignited in the eyes of the injured woman. "Shut up! Don't lump me together with those pale-faced, ship crashers." She had fired back dangerously fast to the point that it sounded like she was shouting at herself to make herself believe her statement.

Takao smiled at the response. "There really is more to you than just the Siren label that hangs over you- perfect."

"- But dear sister, I thought that she wanted to get rid of Enterprise. Wouldn't that make her a ship crasher regardless?" Said Atago, the teasing voice made clear.

Takao laughed that made the doppelganger and heavy cruiser stop in their tracks. "Not necessarily. With such a broad statement as ship crasher, that would identify everyone and everything that navigates these seas. Back then, we were all at war, but things are different now- a new age of peace is approaching with the Sirens standing guard toward that peace. With your disdain for the Sirens, it looks like we do have some common ground. So, what do you say? The enemy of my enemy…" She extended her hand close to the injured woman's strapped hand with enough closeness to be accepted by her.

The pseudo-Eagle Union never looked away from her. "The enemy of my enemy is also my enemy. Keep whatever delusions you have of friendship to yourself, Sakura Empire."

Takao wavered and hid the shadow of hurt that flashed briefly in her eyes with her bangs. "Well then… I hope you enjoy your continued stay here, prisoner E-2."

Atago removed the stupefied face she had after her sister walked away. "Hmph, do you backhand everyone that tries to treat you like a decent human being?"

The wild-haired woman didn't respond as her mind flashed to an image of Hornet that fit exactly what those words had held.

As they both reached the exit ramp that connected land and ship, the injured woman spotted someone bizarre standing near a wall from the corner of her eye.

The mad archer darted her eyes toward the direction, but the only thing that she saw before they vanished around the corner was glowing yellow eyes. The white-haired carrier's heart elevated with anxiousness and an itching desire to level the entire area of that wall. Her flared emotions did not last long. At the end of the ramp, the crane sisters were joined with Hornet.

The pseudo-Eagle Union could feel her throbbing pain start to set in, so she closed her eyes to ignore the world around her. The wheels of her chair moved against the surface that felt like cobblestone, and the air hit her with a scent that smelled of cherry blossoms. The sweetness of the scent almost made her want to gag.

**(Elsewhere)**

Among the structures of the Sakura Empire, there stood a gazebo-like, four-pillar outdoor roof structure that connected with other structures. This particular red structure stood high and built on a small mountain to give it a better elevation that oversaw most of the land of the rising sun. The only one that could challenge its height was the home of the leader of the Sakura Empire that stood as the overlord of height among all structures in the land.

Back to the second tallest red structure. Underneath its roof, a white-haired woman with a red strand of hair had her arms folded. Her look focused at the far-off distance that was the docks. "Oh, looks like the popular and mysterious invader has finally shown up." Her eyes never moved from their direction and her words were directed to the other occupant in the room. The white-haired woman that wore a black, gray, and red uniform that was synonymous with the Iron Blood turned her head to see if her companion had reacted to the news. Her companion did not and continued to focus on a mobile bed with an occupant that resided in it.

"Did you hear me?" Asked the Iron Blood.

Her companion, who was dressed in red and black Sakura Empire clothing with a white blouse turned her head to acknowledge her. The Sakura Empire had long brown hair, orange eyes, pointy ears that sat above her hair, various fluffy tails that extended from behind her like a wind fan, and red eyeliner near her eyes. "How does she look?"

"Hmmm, well it would work out if I had binoculars for this, but from this distance… she looks like a very unscrupulous Grey Ghost. Aside from that, she doesn't look like a Siren if you ask me, and more like a caged animal."

"Eugen… none of that matters. I trust my junior's intel about her being a Siren and even Nagato wants to see her for herself. At this point, any fleeting hope that could help me bring Kaga back I will accept with open arms." The grave and despondent tone filled the room.

Prinz Eugen observed her with a held back expression of pity. She learned fast that her companion did not tolerate people looking at her with a sorrowful expression from the recent events that her sister Kaga had endured. "Akagi… even if she's a Siren, how do you suppose she will come to cooperate with us?" Asked the Iron Blood with skepticism.

Akagi turned her head back to gaze at the mobile bed next to her.

The sleeping form of her sister laid on the bed, unmoving, and with only gentle sounds of breaths coming and going. "It's not like she will have any say on this matter," she spoke with seriousness.

**(Unknown)**

Back to where the injured woman and the others were at.

Hornet kept her distance as she walked behind everyone else. She had her duffel bag behind her back and her eyes scanned the environment around them. The cherry blossom trees no longer appeared, and the floor took on the smoothness of concrete. A few small warehouses- around four or so laid scattered to form a compound of sorts with one warehouse being at the center.

Hornet noticed that a grassy hill resided near, beyond that, were the cherry blossom trees and other aesthetics that were unique to the land of the rising sun. "Kinda far removed from all the other locations, huh?"

Zuikaku turned her head to respond to the Eagle Union. "Yes, it is. This place is perfect to keep her secluded and to have a watchful eye on her. The standard holding cell we have for prisoners wouldn't be suitable for her since she isn't a standard prisoner. That grassy hill you see over there is where Atago and Takao reside, so they will be just beyond the hill to respond to anything that might arise. Shoukaku and I live more to the left of where they live."

Takao overheard the explanation and joined in on the conversation. "When Vestal said that she wanted for E-2 to be treated properly we took it very seriously. This warehouse place has been reorganized inside to act as a holding cell with everything that someone needs to not make them go insane. Atago and I are going to make sure that she gets her meals, is maintained hygiene-wise, and to treat her injuries."

"E-2?" Asked Hornet.

"Why yes. That's her designated prisoner name since she wants to be treated as such with all the perks that go with it. Of course, that's the only perk she will get. It would defeat the purpose of all this if we treated her like the scum of the earth garbage and neglected her wellbeing."

"You… sound… very frustrated there, Takao."

Hornet's words had made the swordswoman relax a bit after being called out. Zuikaku had exited from the conversation at the right time when she ran back to her sister, and with it only being Hornet, she felt more at ease to speak her mind. "I guess she got under my skin. I know that she has a sharp tongue but after finding some common ground with her hating Sirens- I thought that a friendship could bloom from that. Maybe… it was wrong of me to think of her as a friend."

"You see her as a friend?"

"I know that might sound odd to hear and I don't know how to quite explain it only that I can sense someone good buried inside that cold shell of hers."

"You're not the only one," replied Hornet truthfully.

Takao smiled warmly at the Eagle Union. "I can understand your side since she's a carbon copy of your sister. Your feelings might seem confusing to you as you want to help her out in any way."

"It's just not that. She… she saved me during the mirror sea incident when I was separated from the others and a Siren destroyer almost did me in. I confronted her on it, but it didn't end so warmly as I thought it would. She was filled with so much pain, anger, and rejection that still leaves me running in circles in my head about what it all meant."

"She saved… you? I see… thank you, Hornet. You've restored a determination in my heart."

"I did?"

Takao allowed herself a childish laugh that expressed a fantasy of hers that she held close. "Yeah, a dream of mine is to hopefully fight her one on one, and that's my personal motivation in wanting to break this fatal bond that she shares with your sister. After that, I'll have no reservations in going all out and what better way to sweeten that moment than as friends?"

"Huh? Fight her?"

"I'm confusing- I admit it. That's just my nature so pay no mind to it, Hornet. Some would give a handshake, but I would test my blade and skills upon a worthy soul like that of a handshake. That's my way of building a bond of friendship," she said with a wide smile.

"You mustn't be popular with the other girls around here," said Hornet with a light smile for added sarcasm.

Takao laughed and wholeheartedly agreed with that statement.

"It's moments like these that I understand why Atago and I are sisters. She has her own controversial ways of greeting people with her odd hugs and I tend to secretly want to draw my sword for my introduction."

"Makes sense. Just don't let that overly obsessive competitive swordplay cast a shadow on your reasoning," mocked Hornet.

They ended up being scolded by Shoukaku for slacking behind shortly after that. All five of them, including the injured doppelganger, made their way to the central warehouse. The metal doors opened to reveal a glass chamber with a bed. Aside from the bed, there wasn't much to go by aside from a shelf with random books and a desk.

Takao walked in front of the doppelganger who looked unfazed by her living accommodations. "It might not look like much, but that bed is very comfortable, E-2." She said the name wondering if she could get a rise from the doppelganger, however, she didn't. "I'll be blunt with you. You're here to be researched on in order to break this mirrored force that causes Enterprise and you to share a vast array of pain and sensations. However, that doesn't mean we are going to treat you like an animal-"

"-I would." Blurted the doppelganger with cavalier tones to her voice.

All the others remained quiet as they gazed at Takao who twitched her left eyebrow at the response.

"I don't doubt that. Whatever upbringing you experienced that has turned that heart of yours black, I hope that in time you come to see things differently."

"Upbringing…? That's something I've been thinking about, too. In the end, all that I am is because of Enterprise. Her death is what's right." She wasn't one to talk about her past. Her past was one clouded in heavy fog with memories pouring in during her dreams. Those memories might not even be memories as they didn't make sense at all. The only coherent drive for her was that her foggy background screamed out to her that Enterprise was the source for all her pain.

"Why don't you shut up, you Siren? Stop blaming Enty for your so-called pain!" Zuikaku looked dangerously furious after hearing the death threat to the woman she loved from this imitation.

Atago and Shoukaku sprang into action to hold her back in time before the Sakura Empire carrier did something she would have regretted.

"We should put you in before heads start rolling," said Takao with a held back chuckle. This stemmed from the fact that they were more alike when it came to forming bonds with people and how they went about forming those bonds.

**(Zuikaku)**

They waited until nighttime descended on the land of the rising sun to avoid the general public seeing the prisoner that they housed. Everyone from the prisoner escort had brought the doppelganger to a bathhouse that Nagato had instructed them to use.

In there, the pseudo-Eagle Union had been thrown out of her comfort zone as she had been stripped down with a protective cast placed on her injured arm.

"H-hey, are you sure that this won't cause her arm to get worse?" Asked Hornet who stood close to the entrance door with a towel folded in her hands.

Atago had taken the honor of doing most of the hard work of stripping the doppelganger's clothing, which wasn't hard. She used the password code that disabled the limiter rig from the torso of the white-haired carrier, and then she did short work of removing all the layers. "Oh, this is all dandy! Your medical ship had informed us that her first treatment had repaired a good portion of her nerves meaning that she's able to move her fingers, hand, and arm if only slightly. Most of it is charred like a bad case of barbeque if you asked me, however, this cast will keep her arm in one position and will prevent water and heat from tampering with the healing process," sweetly spoke the overly cheerful heavy cruiser.

"This is shameful! You won't get away with this- let go of me!" Cried the injured carrier. Due to her current condition, she couldn't fight at full force and repel the long black-haired woman with the unmistakable mole on her cheek.

"You're so squirmy, E-2! Would it make you feel better if I told you that the steam in this room is covering all the shameful bits that you so loudly are advertising?" Atago winked at the injured woman and the injured woman could do nothing but blush for the first time in her life.

The doppelganger covered her chest with her left arm. The sight of her stripped-down had not set well with her. Not only was she incredibly embarrassed from her vulnerable state, but her overall body had made her feel disgusted as she knew full well that this was the exact body of the woman, she hated the most.

"I'm technically the only one with the front row seat to this show thanks to this steam, so relax. I promise you that this bath is going to put that frown upside down." She playfully pushed the carrier woman that made her lose her balance and fall into the water.

A good distance away, Shoukaku, Takao, and Zuikaku were merely standing there with nothing to do but wait until Atago had her fill with the injured woman. To them, this was a much-needed payback from the hardship and trouble that the Siren had caused to Enterprise and all of them.

"Maybe having Atago on bathing duty was a bad idea. This is a punishment that I wouldn't even give to my worst enemy considering that my sister can be destructive with those conniving hands of hers." Takao sighed deeply as she wondered if she was burning the friendship boat that she still held hope for.

"Oh, nonsense. Better her than us and I rather not get my clothes all wet," stated Shoukaku. She turned her head to see her sister turned the opposite way. "Huh, Zui… what are you looking at?"

Zuikaku wasn't looking at anything in particular and was, in fact, shying away from getting a peek of the doppelganger naked. She mutedly mumbled to herself while a crimson blush painted her face. "I can't see this- I can't see this… I'll be cheating on Enty in so many ways not counting the fact that this is an indirect violation of her privacy." She shut her eyes that made Shoukaku confused.

Back to the bath activity, Atago submerged the white-haired woman's head into the water once she took off her gloves and raised her sleeves higher. "Now, let's get all split ends taken care of," she grabbed a nearby shampoo bottle and began setting her efforts into motion.

About half an hour went by and during that whole time, E-2 had continued her desperate attempts to escape from the iron clutches of the Sakura Empire woman.

Atago no longer had a smile on her face as she looked more agitated with each passing minute. "I give up."

"What's going on, sister?" Asked Takao.

"Her hair does not want to cooperate with me in the slightest. No matter how much I scrub and shampoo, her hair remains wild." She directed her hands to make the carrier look at her. "I'm sorry, honey, your hair is more brutal than you are, unfortunately. It even pains me that I couldn't get the sea salt smell from your hair. Hornet, be sweet and bring me the towel!"

E-2 grunted from the insult of her hair as she was submerged once again.

An hour later, she was back in her glass chamber cell with fresh clothes on and the limiter rig placed back again.

Everyone looked interested to hear the struggle that Atago had with E-2's hair.

"Are you saying that you couldn't get her hair to be neat?" Said Zuikaku with a hand on her chin.

"That's the summary of things. The oddest part of it all was that her hair smelled of sea salt even after I washed it brutally with strawberry-scented shampoo."

"It wasn't a total waste- her skin smells of strawberries, so she is clean. Could her hair smell be a Siren thing?" Asked Hornet.

Takao shook her head. "Unlikely. If you ever got close to a Siren to smell her hair, then you would know that they tend to smell of metal and rock; some choose to not smell of nothing at all."

"Yeah, Sirens can pretty much dictate if they choose to be affected by their environment. Heck, the thought of bathing is probably a trivial thing to them unlike us who need to wash up regularly," said Atago.

"Of all the smells, why choose sea salt?" Said Hornet.

"It might not be a simulated choice for her. The scent of her hair tells a story. A story of a wondering ship who never docks and continues to sail the seas without rest," said Takao.

They all looked at the white-haired carrier with a new deep interest.

"Story? She was born from a mental cube days ago- she doesn't have a story to tell and for all we know, this could be a sick joke that she gets pleasure of," said Zuikaku with a scoff. She disregarded her curiosity about the injured woman's hair and grabbed a chair that resided not far away from her. "I'll take this night's shift," she said flatly.

"Are you sure?" Asked Takao.

"Yeah, I don't mind after all since I'm doing this for Enty. Rest up everyone and I'll see you all tomorrow."

Everyone except Shoukaku had accepted the night shift decision without any reservations. Shoukaku, personally, didn't want her sister staying the night with the woman that would have killed them both without so much of a second thought if it wasn't for the assistance of Enterprise. She walked up to her sister and rested her hand on her shoulder. "Please don't let her get under your skin, Zui."

The brown-haired woman looked stunned for a second until she responded to her sister's wishes with a nod.

"I'll be taking guard first thing in the morning," replied Takao.

"Sounds good. You might as well show Hornet where she will be staying tonight," said Zuikaku to Takao.

Takao showed Hornet the way to their room with a sulking Atago behind them when it dawned on her that their place would get crowded from the extra person.

Everyone was gone and that just left Zuikaku and the mad archer in the warehouse. As the night progressed, she leaned forward on her chair as her intense gaze never broke away.

The doppelganger had placed herself in a seating position on the floor next to the bed with her head low.

"You know, there's a bed right there- just saying," said the brown-haired carrier.

The doppelganger ignored her. It wasn't until a sickening laugh that caught her attention. She looked at the direction of the still-open doorway; the direction where the swordswoman was sitting. Past her, a woman was standing near the doorway with an insulting smirk on her face. She had white hair, pale skin, a black style vest, paired with black shorts, and very outlandish leg greaves with blades ending where her feet should have been. It was fifty-fifty if she had feet behind those greaves or if she discarded that human aspect to the trash. She did appear to gain some height from the blades meaning that her feet could very much be where the blade part started.

Zuikaku noticed the alerted and frightened look from the doppelganger that was a rare sight. "What's with that face? You look like you seen a ghost."

"Behind you..." she said with hesitation. She wondered which one she would love to see die first and, in the end, she'd rather give the one with the lock and key to her cell a fighting chance.

Zuikaku turned around and relaxed her face when she saw nothing but the moon and night sky. "What... scared of the moon? Or you have a habit of turning into a wereship?"

"Why are you joking around?! Can't you see that she's standing right there?!" Yelled the doppelganger. She locked eyes at the mysterious shadowy intruder's radiating yellow eyes.

The mysterious Siren standing idly laughed softly and swung her arms with carefreeness. She then disappeared to the right side of the entrance.

"She was laughing at us- can't you hear her?!"

Zuikaku raised a confused eyebrow. "You really are insane. It's dead silent out there with no one." She stood up from her chair and made her way to the door. "If you're that crazy about it, then I'll close the door. And just to let you know, there really isn't anyone out there. No Siren would be suicidal enough to infiltrate the Sakura Empire's defenses," she said sternly. The door closed harshly afterword.

**I deeply apologize for the long wait. With all the real-world issues going around, I had to remove myself from my writing for a bit. I'm doing fine if most of you are wondering and I did feel like it was time to get some writing done. Thanks for the patience and see you all next time.**


	10. Means To An End

**Chapter 10: Means To An End**

The Crane sister that harbored a love for the white-haired Eagle Union tried to maintain her eyes open during the long night. Her irritation had flared a bit after the mad ramblings about an enemy being outside that sounded outlandish from the imitation of the woman of her heart.

Regardless of the mad ramblings, the injured woman had retreated to her bed where she rested on her side and away from the Sakura Empire woman.

Deeper into the night, Zuikaku started to drift off to dreamland, and the sudden groans of pain from the injured archer had brought her back. "W-What's wrong?!" She demanded.

The pseudo-Eagle Union didn't respond.

Realization quickly sat in for the swordswoman that her prisoner was in a deep sleep with her holding onto her injured arm in pain. Now and then, she would thrash around on the bed, further reinforcing an ensuing night terror.

"Hmm, it looks like the final amounts of pain medicine are wearing off… Enty." Her eyes lowered as she imagined Enterprise going through this pain in the Azur Lane base. If the doppelganger was experiencing these pains, then there was no doubt that Enterprise was too. Unable to do nothing for the injured archer, she forced herself to ignore the whimpers and hurtful sharp breaths. Maybe then, she could muster up some energy from her sleep.

**(Enterprise)**

Across the seas and toward the Azur Lane base, Enterprise was indeed going through the same pain. She was engrossed in a deep sleep that even with the pulsating and burning pain that her charred arm produced, she wasn't going to be waking up anytime soon.

She wasn't alone to face this horrible ordeal.

Belfast had remained by her side, and she appeared distraught at the fact that she was powerless to aid her friend. "Miss Enterprise… I can't even begin to imagine the scorching pain you're going through. If I could, I would take in all your pain without a moment's hesitation." The maid's hands trembled slightly, and she found herself climbing onto the bed. The part of her mind that argued with her that proclaimed that this action was illogical and confusing was overshadowed by the love that she chose to ignore up to this very point.

"Miss Enterprise… grip my hand as tight as you want. Let me be your comfort and hold nothing back." She leaned closer to the other woman until their bodies were side by side on the medical wing bed.

Enterprise inhaled and exhaled tiredly with sweat drenching her face. In some relieving way, the injured woman had subconsciously agreed to the words of the woman next to her. Her uninjured left hand enclosed around the delicate fingers of the maid, and she began to squeeze.

Belfast swallowed the pain her throat wanted to express, afraid that she might attract unwanted attention from outside, and make them think that something violent was happening. "That's it… Enterprise… squeeze. I will always be here for you." The maid recollected the strong words of her sister that had told her to fight alongside her heart instead of against it. If their friendship was indeed special and unbreakable, then perhaps embracing the warm feelings her heart was telling her was a good thing. Her kind act that she was doing for Enterprise was more suited for a lover rather than a friend, and she felt no shame in it.

The maid's heart skipped when the Eagle Union tilted her head to rest it on the side of the royal navy's head of hair. Belfast was stunned by the sudden intimate action from the sleeping carrier, and she made no effort to move her head away from the Eagle Union's action. To add to the tender moment, the Eagle Union had stopped her groans of pain and fell into a soothing rhythm of breathing. Belfast softly giggled at the triumphant scene before her. For the rest of the night, she stayed by Enterprise's side to be her comfort if she so needed.

**(Zuikaku)**

The flares of sunlight pierced the windows of the warehouse. It was now morning, the active guard, also known as Zuikaku, had begun to flutter her eyes open. Her muscles ached from the position that she was in during the long night. Her vision focused to see that the white-haired carrier had taken a seating position in a corner of her cell.

She looked tired with bags under her eyes, and the standard glare she gave off to her reflection told a story of disappointment and unfocused concentration. Her eyes then found themselves looking at Zuikaku that soon started to last longer than a glance would be.

The Sakura Empire woman narrowed her eyes at the prisoner after finding out that the injured woman had continued to stare at her. "Do you have a problem?" She barked at her with half-asleep eyes and a groggy tone. The silence was already killing her, and she didn't like being stared at like some sideshow.

The injured archer pulled her gaze away and scoffed. "Your face looks ridiculous when you sleep."

Zuikaku's face turned bright red. "Then stop looking my way!"

E-2, which was her prisoner's name, stood up from the floor and walked toward the bed. "It's hard to ignore when you're making annoyingly soft sounds and a whole lot of mumbling."

Zuikaku turned a higher level of red from hearing that. No one else knew that she mumbled in her sleep aside from her sister. "T-this chair is uncomfortable, so pardon me if I disturbed your repeated grunts of pain last night," she spat back.

E-2 halted and held up her good arm to her injured one. The pain had subsided from last night, yet it showed a weak side to the enemy that made her feel ashamed.

Zuikaku folded her arms and observed the action of the white-haired woman. "You sounded in a lot of pain last night. I can only imagine the pain that Enty endured as well."

"Pfft, like I care," said E-2.

The comment thrown by E-2 didn't get lost with her. She felt her hand enclosed into a fist. "No, you don't. And that's what makes you different from her. You lack her compassion."

They stared at each other with a dead-still silence that expressed everything that they felt for each other. At that time, the door opened, and Takao walked in with a tray of food in her hands.

"Morning, everyone. So, how was the night? Did you both found something worth talking about?" She asked with a sunny personality to counter the gray mood.

"Pfft." Came the combined distaste from both women.

Takao sighed with a half-nod. "I figured as much."

"There's nothing to talk with her about. She isn't an ally to me in the slightest," angrily stated Zuikaku.

E-2 made her opinions known with a cold shoulder turned away from them.

"E-2, I brought you steamed rice, miso soup, and grilled fish," said the heavy cruiser.

The pseudo-Eagle Union acknowledged the food with a glare. "Isn't it a little early for food like that?"

"Huh? This is a complete meal that is packed with everything you need to tackle the day," replied Takao.

The injured woman mocked those words. "Typical of the Sakura Empire. I guess you don't have pancakes, eggs, cereal, or even bacon?" She oozed a sarcastic tone that did harbor genuine desires for those things.

"Hey, what do you think this place is- a five-star hotel!? Eat whatever we serve you and shut your mouth!" Yelled the Crane woman.

Takao extended a hand to calm the hysterical brown-haired woman. "It's alright. I've been shortsighted and didn't take into account that you are Eagle Union."

Something in E-2's eyes flared up from hearing that. "That has nothing to do with what I prefer to eat."

"Oh… really? Because that's how people's food preferences form; from their homeland after all," said Takao.

E-2 hesitated for an awful amount of time for someone that didn't care about a place that much. "The Eagle Union isn't... my home. That's hers alone."

"Very fascinating. You have a dissociation when it comes to talking about her even though you're another version of her," said Takao.

"Spare me the analysis, Sakura Empire. I'm not her- and I believe I already stated that."

Takao gave her a nod toward her words. "Yes, you did. Then why don't you eat this food? Enterprise would have had the same reservations of eating this food as well. If you aren't her, then eat this food to prove it. Or would you rather I brew you some coffee to go with your bacon and eggs?" Mocked the black legging swordswoman.

The white-haired woman mulled over the question for a second. She then looked at Takao with an amused reluctant expression because deep down, she knew she had been played. "Impressive. Fine, give me that food… or don't."

Zuikaku stood gobsmacked at the way Takao had manipulated E-2's thought process. If she learned anything new from E-2, it was that she hated being compared to Enterprise.

**(Enterprise)**

Over in Azur Lane, the bed of one injured Eagle Union was overcrowded by one.

Enterprise blinked her eyes open as she allowed herself to gather her bearings. The pain in her arm had subsided greatly for the time being, and whatever allowed her respite during the night had let her collect vital sleep.

She stretched and it was at that moment that she felt someone else on her bed. It only took her a brief head turn to see that Belfast was next to her on the bed, her angelic face pressed against her shoulder.

The white-haired carrier had a difficult time trying to process the situation she found herself in. Logically, she should have awoken her, but she allowed herself to keep silently observing the maid. It was the small subtle details that oddly mesmerized her with the way Belfast would cutely breathe from her mouth, a very unladylike trait, which would be something Belfast would believe. Another detail was the fact that Belfast had a habit of mumbling in her sleep.

Enterprise felt overcome with a laugh that sat at the edge of her throat. The reveal of these traits from the maid did in no way diminished the image that the carrier had for the maid.

This peaceful observation from the white-haired carrier went on for a while until the maid started to stir.

Belfast slowly fluttered her eyes open, and the first image she saw was Enterprise staring at her as if she was the only thing in the world, she found interesting. The redness on her cheeks grew along with her alertness. "M-miss… Enterprise?"

"Sorry for staring. You looked very… peaceful while sleeping," said Enterprise with a soft unknowing smile.

The maid quickly pulled her head away from the soft pillow and fixed her clothes. "By peaceful- you probably mean hilarious. Forgive me for rudely getting in bed with you," she said with her eyes unable to look at Enterprise and her face still red.

"Huh? Bel, nothing about you is hilarious. Only amazing. I'm… actually okay that you slept next to me. Your comforting presence made me get some needed rest, and I thank you for that."

"Well… you're very welcome. I only did what felt right." She let those words sink in and give her a warmth she did not expect from herself.

"Thank you, Bel. What say we go to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast?"

"Hold on, Enterprise. I can bring us the food here without delay. You should continue your rest."

Enterprise shook her head at that option. "That won't be necessary. I've rested enough during these days, and with my first treatment done, I don't have to worry about hurting my arm further- unless I intentionally damage it."

"That may be true, but the pain isn't going to go away, especially when you're in the recovering phase. Last night was proof of that."

"I… I just want to stretch my legs for a bit, Belfast. Let everyone see for themselves that I'm still kicking, and it wouldn't be a bad thing for me to see the others."

"Very well, Enterprise. I'll get the wheelchair and we can-"

Enterprise cut her off with a finger wag. "No wheelchairs. My arm is the thing that's damaged- not my legs. I already humored Vestal and the others with that unnecessary thing. Walk with me like we usually do, Bel," she said softly.

The powerful nature of the carrier's words compelled her to merely nod in acceptance. That's all she could have done at the moment, for this felt like a conversation that she couldn't win. And if she did, it would be like stripping something away from Enterprise that made her who she was. The two made their way to the cafeteria, just like they had been doing before the mirror sea incident.

**(E-2)**

The pseudo-Eagle Union lowered the empty miso soup cup back onto the tray.

The only other one in the warehouse area was Takao, who had been snacking on an apple with her back against the glass wall of the cell.

"I'm finished." Stated the injured woman.

"Oh, it looks like you are. Any comments to the chef?" Replied Takao.

"It doesn't matter. This is only a means to an end. All of this included," remarked the injured woman.

"Care to elaborate on that?" Asked Takao.

"No," came the resounding reply from E-2.

"Fine… that's just fine," blandly spoke the heavy cruiser.

"Where did that woman go?" Asked E-2.

"Hmm? She left before you started eating. Said something about getting some food and took off, but not before she told me of your interesting hysterical statements from last night."

E-2 remained quiet and looked away.

Takao frowned and leaned on the glass door. "She thinks you're crazy. I, on the other hand, don't like using that word. It feels too simple and there's always a deeper story, just waiting to be brought out. You can feel relaxed to talk to me about it if you'd like."

"You don't trust your ally? I've done nothing to earn trust from you," said the injured archer.

"Well, you haven't been the best conversationalist, but I won't flaw you for that. You're many things. Rude and vengeful are the ones that spring to mind… but crazy? Maybe damaged… inside and out." The heavy cruiser removed herself from the wall and crouched down near the door. She reached into the small doorway attached to the main door of the cell and pulled out the empty tray that waited for her. "Not even a single piece of food left, marvelous."

"Hold on," said the injured woman when the other had started to walk away.

"What is it?" Asked Takao gently.

"I know what I saw last night, and that wasn't the first time I saw her. When I arrived here, I spotted that mysterious woman near a wall at the docks. Her being outside that doorway marked the second encounter. For your best interest, I suggest you look into it."

"Your words almost sound full of concern for the people of the Sakura Empire," said Takao.

"Pfft, it's all a means to an end."

The heavy cruiser remained curious about the other woman's vague statement. "Means to an end, you say? I'll look into the surveillance from last night and see if there are any abnormalities."

"You do that," mocked E-2.

Takao laughed to herself as she walked away. "You're welcome."

**(Enterprise)**

The wonderful energy in the air was a much-needed welcome in the cafeteria of the Azur Lane Academy.

Belfast and Enterprise were enjoying their breakfast, just like old times.

"Here, allow me, Enterprise," spoke the maid with a fork that had a skewered piece of a cinnamon bun on it.

Enterprise reluctantly hesitated, yet she made no further attempts to decline it. Her mouth accepted the delicious glazed piece of bread.

Belfast's shock came as a greater one. She was purely going through the motions of her heart, and she had been ready to accept the rejection.

Enterprise swallowed and confusingly gazed at the maid. "Do I have something on my face?"

"N-no. It's nothing," she said quickly. She was not strong enough to tell her how captivating she was, even with a piece of glazed sugariness smeared across her cheek. If anything, an urge to lick it off her cheek was almost too inviting.

The white-haired carrier cluelessly smiled at her friend. "This is nice. Thank you for understanding me, and for letting me stretch my legs rather than being confined in a room."

"I admit, I was worried about the implications of this, but let's not fool ourselves; you're no caged bird. And the last thing I would do is keep you trapped somewhere alone."

"Would you like a hash brown?" Asked Enterprise.

"Oh, well… if you're offering… then I would be a fool to say no," remarked the maid. The look in her eyes was filled with mesmerization. She nervously wet her lips and inched slowly toward the golden hash brown. Both of their eyes met in that instant, filled with their own desires for that moment. Of course, Belfast could bet that her hidden desires were a lot more intense and intimate compared to her companion's internal thoughts.

Belfast bit hard on the golden hash brown, and part of it fell onto the table. "Oh, my! I'm so embarrassingly messy," she stated while she did not attempt to hide her greasy face that had potato bits on it.

Enterprise laughed genuinely that filled the maid with warmth. "Join the club. Not many can eat a hash brown without throwing their elegance out the window."

"Rather tasty, though," said the maid.

A sudden shift in atmosphere told them that they were no longer alone. From the corner of the maid's eye, she spotted five girls, merely waiting to be noticed with them only a foot away from the table. Belfast turned swiftly toward them, and the five girls turned out to be Z23, Laffey, Javelin, Ayanami, and Unicorn.

The maid gulped nervously with a red blush on her face. There was no wasted time, she grabbed the napkin next to her and cleaned her mouth to avoid the indecent look.

"S-sorry, Belfast. We didn't mean to disrupt… um… disrupt…" Javelin rubbed the back of her head as she was now the one to be incredibly embarrassed.

"- tender moment?" Blatantly asked Laffey with her tired voice.

The collective silent blushes from Enterprise, Belfast, and Javelin were enough to increase the heat of the surrounding table.

"N-no! Come on, Laffey- I'm sure that's not the correct word to describe the situation." Assured a flustered Javelin.

"I doubt that. It doesn't take a genius to read the yearning tension those two produce like chimney smoke," said Z23 with an aside remark to Ayanami who merely nodded, wishing that she wouldn't have to throw her two cents.

Enterprise raised an eyebrow. "Tender moment? What are you all on about?" She immediately winched from a pulsating pain that coursed through her injured arm like hot magma.

"Enterprise!" The worried voice of Belfast pierced through the carrier's pain, and she refocused back to everyone after a few seconds later. Her face looked pale with an increase to her breath. "I'm fine… spasm of pain- that's all."

"A-are you sure?" Asked Javelin.

Belfast understood the heavy concern that Javelin had for Enterprise. If they weren't in a public area such as this, she would be tempted to tell her to hold her hand again like last night.

"No need for concern. My arm is on the right course in my healing progress. It's only natural that it would act up along the way," she said with a kind smile to everyone. Her eyes locked on a small card that the quiet long-haired purple girl had been holding close to her. "Unicorn, that's a very bold card you got there. All those colors could even put a rainbow to shame."

Unicorn stood alerted from the direct comment from the injured Eagle Union. "Y-yes, Miss Enterprise. T-this is a combined get-well card from all of us. Please accept." She handed her a lovely card. The picture itself had a drawing of a set of flowers in all types of colors with a sunset horizon in the background. Glitter lined up the edges and inside the flowers to make them stand out. A few poorly drawn bees circled the flowers with soft blue words that spelled 'Get well soon'.

Upon opening it, Enterprise tilted her head at a funny drawing of a gingerbread cookie that was holding onto a bow. On the backside of the cover side, it was sticker paradise as almost the whole side had a sticker in every inch. Back to the right side with the illustration, above it, words spelled out 'You're a tough cookie'. An unrestrained laugh came from the white-haired woman and her smile never diminished. "What an… odd expression of those words. I assume that this cookie is me?"

The one to speak was Unicorn. "Y-yes. I drew the cookie. D-do you not like it?"

"I love it more than I like it. It's unexpected yet very heartwarming. Thank you all for this."

Belfast soon found herself taking a backseat as all five of the girls had invaded the table. Eventually, they grew curious and asked about the mysterious doppelganger, but Enterprise dismissed the topic as unimportant and assured them that she was being dealt with.

**(E-2)**

Some time ago, her arm had painfully flared up with random pain. The pain made her drop a random book that she had been reading. She stood on the ground with a held breath, reinforcing her nerves for another wave of pain. However, no more pain had happened, and she sat on the edge of her bed, a look of uncertainty on her face.

No one else was in the warehouse with her. Takao had not returned from earlier and the day was reaching noon. The wild-haired woman observed her bandaged arm with a newfound interest. A lingering dark thought entered her mind that involved hurting herself. It dawned on her that they, whether it was a sloppy mistake on their end or that they had an ulterior motive, had avoided keeping her in restraints like she was in Azure Lane. If she wanted, she could find a way to vent out some payback to her counterpart. The thought continued to linger over her head just like her good hand was lingering over her bandaged one.

The moment passed, and she removed her hand. She jolted upward from the metal doors opening, allowing sunlight to bathe her. Her eyes adjusted a few seconds later, and two figures walked closer to her.

The first one was Takao, and the second one was a white-haired woman with a red streak of hair.

E-2's eyes turned narrow, as the obvious outfit that she donned appeared to be Iron Blood.

Takao approached first with a warm smile that she hoped, would reassure the prisoner. "You're being summoned. Take this time to stretch your legs, and whatnot," she said. The glass cell door opened.

E-2 cautiously inched her way out of the cell perimeter, anticipating that trouble would be unavoidable. Maybe they were finally going to deal with the bonding issue then dispose of her.

A seductive laugh rang through the room. "Come now, darling. We're not going to hurt you… unless you try it first." A hungry snap echoed throughout the room. That sound was mechanical twin shark heads that produced from the now noticeable rig of the Iron Blood.

Aside from that, the honey-filled voice of this new woman made E2's stomach twist into a knot with unease at the unknown intentions she perfectly masked.

They didn't keep her in the wheelchair anymore. Where they were going, that would be an unneeded requirement. The path they took was devoid of other residents as both Takao, and the Iron Blood woman knew the perfect path to take to avoid everyone else.

"Am I allowed to ask where you are taking me?" She asked calmly.

Takao didn't mind the question, and she would have responded if it wasn't for the Iron Blood woman signaling her to halt.

"You'll know soon enough. All you need to know is that we have no plans of hurting you." Stated the Iron Blood with a smirk. Her response earned her an insulting scoff from E-2 because of her weak and broad response.

They soon reached red steps that led to a higher gazebo-like platform.

"Miss Takao, you will have to wait here," said the Iron Blood.

The golden-eyed woman looked taken aback. "Prinz Eugen, I don't understand why you'll have me stay behind. I'm her guard and should follow her wherever she goes."

"Yes, yes, I understand your dedication, but this a request from Akagi herself. I would recommend you take it up with her," she said playfully. She overall enjoyed the hesitant and confused nature that the swordswoman displayed.

After hearing that this was an order from Akagi, she reluctantly retracted her objections and politely rested her hands behind her back. "I shall wait here then."

"Hmph, you do that," stated Prinz Eugen, very monotonously. She then casually patted the back of the white-haired carrier to nudge her along. Of course, it also helped that her pet sharks encircled the injured woman from the sides with a wanting desire to devour her.

E-2, internally, was biting her lip at the unwanted situation that forced itself on her. Every fiber of her being wanted to put this Iron Blood in her place. However, she knew that she wouldn't be a match with the use of only one hand and a null rig that provided her with no benefits. Not only that, if she moved her injured arm quickly in combat, it would only further damage her recovering arm.

In the end, they both silently went up the almost seemingly endless steps.

Prinz Eugen moved her eyes sideways to stare at the other woman. "You know, your hair smells of sea salt. Have they not bathed you yet?"

"They did. Didn't help one bit." She said coldly without even looking at her.

The Iron Blood couldn't help but softly chuckle at that. "How unfortunate. If you'll like, I can provide you with something stronger- Iron Blood made, obviously."

"Pfft, I want nothing from you," she replied sternly. This time, she gave the Iron Blood a murderous look.

"Such a harsh look, my dear. No worries, I have seen harsher ones during my time, and I have survived them all. Yours is a far cry from the Grey Ghost- which, I should probably stop calling her that, given the fact that we are allies now. Maybe you can be my new Gray Ghost," she said with a wink.

The wink only silently enraged E-2, and she funneled her thoughts out sternly. "She's a joke along with that name of hers. You should hold your tongue if you know what's good for you."

"Hmm, but that's always the finest when you know it's so bad that it's good."

"Then you don't value your life?" Asked the pseudo-Eagle Union.

"What a question, you ask me. Can I respond with 'an ongoing' option? I admit, there were gray times in my life that would have made me answer with no, but times have changed. I've come to understand and lean on the allies here, and without sounding too soft… I've been accepted. And right now, I do what I do to help an ally that's in need."

The wild-haired woman gazed at the eyes of the Iron Blood, and they did not lie. On initial glance, she could determine that the Iron Blood was shallow and heartless, yet what had caused her to reevaluate her life? She did talk big, that was certain but something else resided inside her.

They both reached the top of the red stairs, and the injured woman stood taken aback by what she saw. In front of her eyes, a short white-haired comatose woman laid on a mobile bed, and another woman sat next to her as her immovable companion.

The conscious one turned her head sideways to acknowledge the two that had entered. "The Siren that masquerades as the Eagle Union's strongest carrier. Welcome to the Sakura Empire, and I hope that you've been taken care of during your time here." Her words were hard to discern if she was being sarcastic or being sincere to all that she said.

"What is all this about? I don't care for your small talk, nor do I care about my attention in this place. I know the ultimate reason for my stay here, and that's for you all to find a way to unlink me with Enterprise. If you'll do succeed, then death would await me regardless."

"Wow, she's an optimist all right," mocked Prinz Eugen.

Akagi lifted herself from the chair without any signs of anger to what she heard. "I hope that's not what you ultimately think. The sisters had told me about your destructive mission to end the life of the woman that you share that face with, and that you were born from the black mental cube thought lost. Who would have thought that the object that led me onto a dark road would be able to converge back to the path of light?" Whispered Akagi with a relaxed sigh.

"You don't make sense. I have no reason to help you, and you delude yourself if you think I bring a brighter road to you. Once this arm is fully healed, I will continue my goal of killing Enterprise, even if I have to carve it out."

"Why do you even hate her? Did she make fun of you or something? Is it the hair?" Replied Prinz Eugen with a humorful smirk.

Anger filled the injured archer at that remark. Of course, there was a meaning behind that question. A meaning that escaped her for why she wanted to kill the Eagle Union. "I just do. She is the source of all my struggles, and I know that I'll be free if I do kill her. I'll be free from my… purpose." The last word she produced came from an abyss inside her that she lacked understanding too. That word confused and terrified her to her very core, but she knew that word meant something grand from her past and the dreams she had been receiving.

"You don't even fully know the reason for your motivation aside from that half-baked response?"

"Eugen, let's not insult our guest here. We can understand where she's coming from, too. There was a time that we needed to snuff out Azur Lane so that the rest of us could be free from the fighting and find peace for our lands. You tried so hard to gain that peace, along with the things you lost that you failed to remind yourself that the group that you're working with doesn't have your best interest at heart. No, they use you and break you with sweet promises." She walked closer to the injured woman without any hint of emotion. "I won't help you kill Enterprise, that's me being perfectly clear. I owe her a debt for saving my life and doing all she could to retrieve my sister." She made a sideways glance at the sleeping woman that filled her face with hurt. "There is another thing I could offer you; a new purpose."

E-2 scoffed coldly at her whimsical words. "I'm a little oversaturated on purpose at the moment."

Prinz Eugen stepped forward to input her thoughts. "Are you sure, Grey Ghost? I might not be able to see what goes on in that head of yours, but I can see when someone wants to survive. Yes, you want to live. Live long enough to see that you get your ambition done, that is. But what confuses me is that you could complete your ambition whenever you wanted, since you're bonded with Enterprise. But you don't want to go for the coward's way out. No, you want to directly kill her with your very hands while you look into her eyes- how passionate. That's your drive for staying alive for the time being, and you won't hurt yourself until you have no other option."

"Your point?" She venomously replied. She didn't reject her observation and she was impressed for the Iron Blood coming to that conclusion. She hated to admit it, but she was on to something.

"My point? Well, if we can find you another reason to stay alive before you get around to offing Enterprise, then everyone wins, right?"

"What?! Why do you all care about my life?! This goes beyond my bond with her, so spit it out."

Akagi directed the conversation back to her. "You're right. What I want goes beyond the bond of life you share with Enterprise. While it's one of my goals- it is not my only one. You see the person lying in that bed behind me. That's my beloved sister Kaga. Before Enterprise and I could reach Observer Alpha during the Orochi assault, she trapped Kaga in a singularity inside my sister's mind. I thought that the death of Alpha would tear down the simulation, but she hasn't awoken since that day." A visible pained expression showed on the Omni-tailed woman.

E-2 silently observed the sleeping Sakura Empire with distant eyes. Somewhere in her heart, the pain of being trapped inside a simulated world that you had no say in being in, and being forced to experience horrible situations that diminished you over time until nothing but a complacent shell remained felt too cruel. Even she could feel deeply sorry for such a fate. A cold shiver washed over her when she further thought about her weird nightmares that had assaulted her in the past days. "I'm… sorry that she's going through that." As soon as she said those words, her eyes widened slowly at the realization. Her words didn't even register in her mind first, rather, something within her had felt compassion to the sleeping woman.

"Oh, she can be sympathetic," teased Prinz Eugen with a finger toward her lips, suppressing her joyful laugh.

E-2 looked away, filled with more disgust for herself than the Iron Blood. "What of it? I don't see why you're telling me this. What can I possibly do?"

Akagi stared at her with hopeful eyes and a fear of rejection to her next set of words. "I want you to pull her out of the singularity. I'm aware that Sirens can access other Siren's conceptual constructs, and I urge you to dive into her mind and put an end to the singularity that's strangling her mind. Only then will she wake up!"

Instead of anger filling her from being called a Siren, sorrow took the role instead. "I can't. I'm not a Siren."

Akagi made a face that expressed the anger of disgust. "Don't stand there and lie to me. You're a Siren!"

"They used me like a lab rat. I can't remember much, but I know that I'm not their ally. They're no different from Enterprise. So, don't call me by their title."

"Don't be blind! Aren't you curious about who you are and how you came to be? You were data that was collected by the black mental cube, and somehow, you were given life. Do you think for a second that this is what they intended for you to be?!"

Akagi's words were like arrows that perfectly landed their hits. It made E-2 feel weak and exposed. "That's right… I wasn't alive before… nor was this their plan for me. I at least made Purifier know that much." An intense throbbing pain suddenly pierced her mind ruthlessly. This one was different from the others, with a faint coherent image appearing in her mind rather than static and the proverbial headache from the others. The memory was short, and what she saw was Enterprise's face staring back at her from above. She was in a lavish royal-like office, with other people around her. However, everyone's faces were blurred, with the only exception being Enterprise.

The Grey Ghost's blank yet focused expression was solely directed to her.

In this brief memory, she could see a reflection inside the eyes of the woman she hated. What she saw was a faintly glowing black cube on a table. That… was her first memory. A memory that somehow felt dated before any other memory or nightmare.

The memory ended, and her world appeared sideways as her face pressed up against stone flooring.

"Hey, say something if you're still here with us." The voice came from the Iron Blood hanging over her with reserved intrigued rather than visible concern.

Akagi had come closer but remained with a tightly held tense breath over the situation. In her mind, she unknowingly still cared more about the injured woman only as a means to recover her sister's mind at that moment.

The only one that appeared genuinely concerned for the state of the counterpart of Enterprise, was Takao.

During her unconscious state, Takao had heard the commotion from above and leaped into action. She was now resting on the stone floor with her black-clad legs being used to lay the head of E-2. "Are you alright? I heard the commotion from below."

E-2 blinked at her with unfocused eyes. Her situation sank in from her earlier pain throbbing. Blood had also appeared out of her nose. "I… didn't ask for your assistance," she venomously shot back.

A soften smile appeared on the black pony-tailed officer, while she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood. "At times, you don't need to. To ignore the need for obvious assistance would make us no better than the Sirens." She could tell that her words had canceled any more malice thoughts that the injured woman had.

"Takao, we were talking just a minute ago, and her face turned pained, causing her to fall to the ground," said Prinz Eugen.

"I see. She's been suffering from headaches recently but those had only been related to people close to Enterprise. This is the first time she's experienced this here in our homeland," replied Takao.

"Enough! Just take me back to my cell." Her stamina had not returned yet with clear paleness to her face, along with heavy eyes.

"Very well."

"Hold on, she needs to help my sister out!"

"Akagi! I understand the hardship you're going through because of your sister, but we have a mission with the Eagle Union that must be carried out. Do not make me go over your head to Lady Nagato about this," responded Takao with fiery eyes.

Prinz Eugen stepped between Akagi and Takao. "Enough. Take her to her cell if she's that drained from a little conversation. She can't even help us anyway due to her current state, Akagi."

"Agreed," said Takao.

Akagi's face looked desperate. She felt like she would lose everything if she didn't act now. "Wait… please… consider my plea for help. I know it in my heart that the only way to break this singularity is with another Siren. I'm about fresh out of Siren allies but you… you're different."

Only a passable grunt of protest came out of E-2's mouth. She and Takao then left the area.

"Are you sure that the little ghost is really a Siren?" Questioned the Iron Blood.

"I have to believe it. That's all I have left. Eventually, her past will catch up with her. I just hope when it does, she doesn't lose herself to whatever she might discover."

**That's it for this one. I apologize for the slow upload with this story, but I don't want to rush or force these chapters out. I'll try to bring the next one up on a weekly time frame rather than a bi-weekly or an even more waiting time than that. Thank you all for reading! **


	11. Imitation through the Bone

**Chapter 11: Imitation through the Bone**

Among all the commotion and activity that the Royal Navy maid and Eagle Union carrier had gone through, the maid felt relieved that the other five girls that had temporarily joined their group had left. Their parting wasn't forced at all as they decided on parting ways with the other two.

All five of them had spent a good hour catching up with Enterprise after the mirror sea incident that had rendered the white-haired woman to appear distant. The unfortunate repercussions of the event had left everyone on the base curious about the status of the Eagle Union. While the five girls that gifted the get-well card to Enterprise finally had their worries and curiosity satiated, there was still the rest of the girls on the base that would soon flood toward Enterprise, once the restrictions imposed by Vestal and the medical wing could say that she was back to full strength and was allowed more social freedom and interaction.

Belfast quietly stood behind Enterprise. They were in a street corner that overlooked the sandy beach and sea of Azur Lane. She observed the white-haired woman wave at the five girls that were soon a great distance away and quickly fading.

Belfast felt compelled to give off a mock cough to break the silence. "Well, their small band brought a lot of energy to the table," she said with both figurative and literal tones behind her voice. "Do you feel tired in the slightest?"

Enterprise chuckled, which was still related to the destroyer class shipgirls that elevated her day immensely. Her eyes then looked toward the maid. "Huh? You have nothing to worry about. Their warm and lively energy was what I needed after being held in that bed for so long. I mean, there's only so much you alone can do to bring color into my world… but oh, do you try."

The abrupt pleasant and alarming complement washed the maid's face with a red tint to it. She forced herself to remain like a strong bolder during a harsh ocean storm. Her only falter was a quick side cough to help her grip the situation. "Oh! M-miss Enterprise. You flatter me with such a strong devotion of praise."

"Was my directness too much?" The injured woman asked with a sweat drop at the chance that she accidentally embarrassed herself.

"No, not at all. It does make me overjoyed at how much my presence actually affects you. You are someone very important to me, after all," she said with a light head-tilt.

No other words were needed for what they felt at that moment. While it was different levels of affection, with one already coming to terms with them, and the other still caught in a sea of confusion to those foreign feelings. One thing was definitively understood, for the Eagle Union, her foreign feelings were rising with a focus toward her important friend.

Them being together led them to the small dock where it all started. Belfast reached the seaside that felt inviting, with fresh air and warm sun rays. The memory of that day when they were mere inches away from connecting their lips flashed in her mind. She found herself wondering where they would be now if their lips had indeed met. Could they be closer or perhaps it wasn't meant to be? One thing would have been sure, and that was the realization that Enterprise needed to face whatever was beyond that point. Her face lowered to a frown at the idea of forcing her friend to choose where her feelings truly resided. Belfast noticed a soft look from Enterprise while she gazed at the ocean. "Now that's a look that I hardly see you making when you eye the sea."

"Fair observation. No secret about my fears of the ocean and what they could bring one day. Pfft, my doppelganger is proof that any day could spell trouble," she said grimly while she impulsively rubbed the bandages of her injured arm.

Belfast zeroed in on that missable action with downcast eyes. "We're all in this together. Always remember that." Sternly spoke Belfast with her eyes fixed back to the Eagle Union. If she had to remind the Eagle Union carrier about the bond, she shared with everyone, then she would gladly become a broken record that will forever remind her of that.

As if someone had thrown cold water at her, the Eagle Union jolted with newfound alertness. "Ah, I didn't mean to sound down in any way. I've firmly beaten that into my head," she said with a light smile.

"You care very deeply about everyone. Do you feel like there's never enough of you to go around? I sometimes feel that I'm selfish for keeping you to myself. Regardless of that, you still shatter those limitations and have become all of our strength."

If her deep spiraling thinking from earlier was like a chasm, then this new level of thought was akin to an oblivion-like abyss. And it was all orchestrated by that question that hit her like an explosive shell. "I guess… I don't want anyone to suffer what I went through all those years ago. When I lost my older sister. War has always been cruel, no matter how you slice it or even blast it. War never changes after all. That singular way of thinking was something of a means to an end for me to get an assignment done." She paused for a bit and understood the implications of her words. To what end would she allow herself to cross? The image of her counterpart flashed in her head with a mixture of rejection and sadness, making her feel ill to her very core. "No more. While war never changes, people can still change."

Her words told Belfast that this was Enterprise's new outlook on her life she once indifferently existed with. "You're living proof of that, my dear Enterprise."

The smile of the maid was too perfect for the Eagle Union. Every time she saw her close companion invoked that perfect angle of her lips and cheeks, she felt that nothing could go wrong after she allowed the world to lay witness to it. "I had a very insistent companion to help me along the way. And she is in no way, being selfish and taking up my time from all the others," she said with humble words. Without any control of herself, she began to madly blush, and for a second, her eyes were truly looking at Belfast with another view to them. However, before her heart could understand this foreign feeling. She heard a slosh of water originate from the seaside.

Both the attention of the ship girls turned toward the origin of the sound.

That very moment, Belfast's smile went away in a passing second for when she fixed her gaze, she spotted her Sakura Empire love rival.

"Zuikaku!" Enterprise greeted the former enemy of Azur Lane like any other. However, Belfast felt like a metaphorical spotlight had detached itself from her form and followed Zuikaku. And she hid no bitter frown that painted her face for a prolonged three seconds.

Zuikaku didn't notice, or maybe she chose to not notice. "Enty! I apologize for sneaking up on you two. Did I… disrupt anything?" She said innocently.

"You're alright. I'm happy that you stopped by. What's the report on her? Has she done anything violent yet?" Asked the Eagle Union with a stern face, ready to accept any news.

Zuikaku folded her arms with an uninterested look at the topic. "Well, not for a lack of trying. Atago said that she caused a small commotion when she was in one of the ship's rooms. Aside from that, she usually retained her sour attitude toward everyone."

"Has there been anything new on the analyzing of her makeup?"

"Enty, we've haven't started yet, since it took some time to set up the place where we're going to be doing the research. Akagi will begin researching into her tomorrow."

"Akagi? She's the one leading the research?"

"Of course, Enty. Her knowledge of Sirens is too valuable not to use her. W-was that not something you wanted?"

"No, that's not the case. I just figured that with the situation of her sister, her focus should be on aiding her to wake up," said Enterprise with downcast eyes.

"Enty, it's amazing how selfless you are about all this, but this was her decision. It's not my place to say this, but I think she's hit a wall with her sister. Everything she has done has failed with no unique or different response in her brain waves. If I didn't know any better, I think that she's holding on to some hope from our unfriendly death-glarer."

Zuikaku wished that the conversation had deviated to another due to the now depressed expression on the woman that she loved. She wasn't the only one to share in on this feeling.

Belfast took her chance and placed a loving hand on the Eagle Union's shoulder without any words to add. At this point, she worried that any attempt to coach her to get over it would end badly.

Zuikaku bit the inside of her cheek at the maid.

**(E-2)**

They checked her from toes to the forehead. A sea of faceless medical personnel that E-2 had deemed unimportant to even remember them by face. All she cared to remember were their ludicrous questions about her dizziness, or if she knew what had caused the blackout. Of course, she had her guesses on to the core reason for her blackout, yet she wasn't going to get chummy with anyone there.

All of them had soon left with no answers, but they did reinforce that her health was in order. She was now back to her old ways in her cell, uncaringly existing without anything to keep her busy, and without any spoken words.

Atago had guard duty from her sister while she went off to inform about the turn of events to Nagato before she heard it from someone else that lacked the details of what transpired.

The long-haired cruiser had taken her guard role very seriously with her sword close to her. Her focused eyes scanned over to the prisoner, with a curious look that followed. "Any more headaches or blackouts?"

E-2 did not attempt to humor her and continued to sit on her bed with her knees close to her chest. She hardly cared that the Sakura Empire was trying to come on to her with a friendly side that resembled her sister's demeanor. In her mind, she was more ensnared about her dream that she had before it all went dark.

Even though she was in her own head, her thoughts felt sluggish to process after her intense blackout had done a number on her body. The endless replays that she forced her brain to endure gave her no new insight, no matter how many times she recollected. In truth, she felt confused. She was aware that she was data, that was a definitive fact that she carried with her. However, there was also this realization that she could have existed in some way before. As confusing as that was, she knew in her heart that those nightmares felt too real to simply be that. The sea and those battles did happen, those experiences had shaped her into who she was right now. Tied to that, a deep-seated hatred for all that she was always went back to Enterprise.

That anger came from some origin point that she had trouble pinning down. It was like her body remembered the source of the hatred and the mind blindly trusted what her body felt. She would admit that during the mirror sea incident, she was driven by pure instincts that her body told her.

What was she? What were the reasons for her headaches? Were the questions she asked herself.

Atago entered the cell with little presence to her steps or maybe the injured woman was too absorbed in her thoughts to register it.

That all changed when Atago's shadow loomed over E-2 that made her flinch upward.

The Sakura woman smiled upon initial glance from the white-haired carrier. "Here you go, darling." She handed her a wrapped piece of chocolate.

E-2's eyes, that looked sunken and tired, continued to stare at it like an object from another world.

"I want you to have it. You look so drained of color and energy that to make a joke about it would be morbid."

"I don't want it," she declared without any ferocity to back her words.

Atago grimaced from the response. "Okay, okay. I can see your stubbornness showing, at least that hasn't diminished much like the rest of you. I'll leave it here on your bed for you to come to your own conclusions, but… it will bring back your stamina and add color back into your cheeks. How do you think I'm always so aggressively perky with my energy, as you would colorfully put it? Just don't tell my sister or I might have to up the ante on our one on one fights." She removed herself from the cell area and went back to her chair. "Ugh, I'm going to have to bring a desk in this dusty old place to at least rest my head on," groaned Atago.

Her complaints about the current guard perks, which was only one, being the chair, had been drowned out by E-2 who gazed at the chocolate bar.

The white-haired woman knew what a chocolate bar was but seeing one now felt the most real compared to her knowledge and memories. Looking back, an image of a ration bar assaulted her mind. It wasn't pleasant and it only further annoyed her as that was something tied to Enterprise. Her body went cold the more she thought about it. A mild throb began to stab away at her mind like small needles. "Ration… bars? She… used to eat those. I used to eat those?" The throbbing continued to slowly increase the more she scratched at her uncooperative memories. None of it made sense. She lacked the whole picture to her memories, yet this item, like her nightmares, had triggered a coherent memory. "I never had one before," she said weakly, accepting what her body was telling her. Yet, she was compelled to think that was a lie. She has memories of the taste that never stood out and was only for sustenance. She unwrapped the bar, one-handedly, and turned away from Atago to deny her the satisfaction. The taste overwhelmed her upon her tongue encountering the heavenly chocolate. This was real, this was something that she had no doubts about. She silently munched until the bar was gone, coming to terms that this quality was worlds apart from the standard Eagle Union ration bars. She let out a sigh of content and that wasn't the only thing. When she opened her eyes again, she felt better and energized.

"See, I told you that the chocolate would help- oh, and you're welcome," said Atago who faced the other way from the cell with a book she produced from somewhere else in her hands.

E-2 grumbled under her breath, unwilling to speak anything on that matter.

Atago only had about two minutes to enjoy her book when the doors opened to reveal a girl in red in white Sakura styled robes.

Atago's book nearly shot out of her hands when she got the face of the last person she wanted to be caught slacking off. "Lady Nagato! I… um… my dear sister went to deliver you the news of our guest's sudden blackout."

"She did? Very well. Then it won't be a problem if I was already planning on seeing our guest with my own eyes. It was already rude of me to not be at the docks when she arrived," stated the girl from the revealing light that pierced through the room.

Nagato, the leader of the Sakura Empire. She stepped forward with a gentle grace that filled the room with more worth than it originally felt, with once being merely an empty and dusty warehouse. Coupled with her grace, she donned her armaments from her rig that made her look bigger than she was. Her head tilted left to right, with her yellow eyes scanning the structure of the glass cell that contained the woman that intrigued her.

The counterpart of the strongest Eagle Union stood stunned at the girl that approached her. She would admit that all her armaments made her look like an unapproachable force that one needed to choose their words carefully. "Aren't you a little short to be a leader?" Ultimately proclaimed the white-haired woman with uninterested eyes once she had gotten over her stun moment.

Nagato's momentum was cut like thin cloth by those words. Her strong and silent face broke into a pout that could not be contained. "R-rude! My height plays no variable in my leadership!"

"Really? While I would agree, it's just so hard to look up to someone that's the leader when I have to physically look down. That's not to say that I plainly have trouble taking you seriously with all that firepower you lug around."

Atago looked pale all over from the blatant disregard to their leader. She now feared more for the white-haired carrier than ever. "Please watch what you say to our leader- no, our flagship. She's no mere girl and has proven her power from her past battle experiences."

"Enough! I don't need someone else to fight my battles," powerfully declared Nagato to Atago.

"Ah! Why am I getting attacked all of a sudden? Forgive me, Nagato," she finished with her mouth closed shut.

The flagship of the Sakura Empire focused her precision gaze back to the caged carrier. "You. Why do you have to provoke me?"

"As I said, I can't take you seriously with all that firepower. Here's an idea. Take that rig off and stop compensating for your height… my lady." She said the last part with enough sarcastic tones to sink a ship.

"I will do no such thing. I.. I must defend myself from a prisoner with the skills and strength on par with that of the Grey Ghost."

E-2 raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Is that the excuse you're going with? I'm trapped in a glass cell with a burnt arm and a null rig. There isn't much in the way of destructive potential at the moment with me. Not even she has her rig while she's guarding me," she pointed to the other Sakura Empire in the room.

Nagato tensely tried to focus her eyes but they showed hints of wavering. "I would learn to keep my eyes open and pay my respects when due if I were you. Sigh, it's not like you get it anyway, do you? My words have left me tired."

"Here, have a pillow," cheerfully stated Atago with a hint of nervousness when she procured a random red pillow from thin air.

Nagato accepted the pillow without another word and without taking her eyes off the white-haired woman.

E-2 watched as the small girl rested her knees on the pillow, with all her rig armaments following. "A pillow? It makes sense since I can't imagine you being able to sit on a chair without breaking it."

Nagato tightened her hands into fists with cloth from her clothes getting caught. "You're so vulgar! Does the Grey Ghost act the same way that you do?!"

"No, she would merely think it briefly, yet smile with not so much of a word. Would you like that I smile back at least?" She produced a smile that was a carbon copy of Enterprise, yet every ounce of that smile was fake without the warmness that Enterprise had acquired.

Even Atago felt uneasy with that smile. The injured woman had always been an open book when it came to her facial expressions, but now, she looked more detached from her original self with also an added element of deception.

Nagato also felt the same. "Keep your unwelcoming smile, at least you are honest without that. Let's get down to business about my reasons for being here." She pulled out a piece of paper from one of her pockets that made E-2 roll her eyes. "The report says that you caused quite a lot of trouble with the Eagle Union, especially to their ace aircraft carrier."

"She did it to herself, little leader. She fired a direct hit, and we both got burned for it," she said with a small smirk.

"Yes, that's on the report too, but it doesn't matter who did the final blow. It fascinates me that you held your own with the Grey Ghost, while also repelling her sister, a Royal Navy light cruiser, and two of my promising aircraft carriers… very fascinating."

E-2 remained quiet with a watchful gaze to see where this was going.

"I'll be blunt. A ship of your prowess would be a waste to scrap, even after we can successfully unlink you from the Eagle Union's Grey Ghost, and I firmly believe that the Eagle Union would want to wash their hands clean of you when all is said and done. That is why I would like to extend an offer to you."

"Offer?"

"Yes, to join the ranks of the Sakura Empire when our favor to the Eagle Union has been carried out."

The pseudo-Eagle Union convulsed to a burst of full-blown laughter. The disrespect that flowed out of her joyful voice filled the small girl with anger.

"Please, stop laughing. This is a serious discussion that I bring to you!"

Her laugh soon died down, and she looked at Nagato with a stern glare. "Do you really believe that the Eagle Union would allow you to have a ship with the same specs to that of their strongest?"

"There will be some backlash that I am aware of, but I hope that they will come to see the fruitfulness of this in time. The Sirens have been assaulting us with fiercer tactics more recently, and to keep insisting for backup from the others constantly would only spread their forces thin. We must learn to regain our foothold in power after the recent loss of our mass-produced ships. A vessel of your caliber would be a power play against the Sirens."

E-2 turned away from the glass with a face full of disgust. "What is wrong with you all? You either want to be a friend, help them awake their sister, or be their new pawn in their pathetic battles."

"I can't speak for these other reasons that you have heard. I simply want to offer you a new purpose," stated Nagato.

The doppelganger of Enterprise turned her head back at the girl with cold murderous eyes. "Purpose… purpose… what a joke. I'm a prisoner, at least treat me like one. Beat me, starve me, throw me below ground- whatever it takes! Don't think for a second that I would show mercy to you all if the situation were reversed!"

The flagship could see the violent nature behind those wild eyes. She didn't have to think hard what the carrier would do if there wasn't a glass between them. "I see. You are like a mad dog without care for your own self. A pity. Tomorrow will begin the experiments. If you wish to be treated roughly, then we will poke and prod you for the answers to unlink you from Enterprise."

"Careful now. You bruise me too hard and she might have a change of heart for me being here. Whatever pain I receive, she'll get the same. I suggest to you and this goes for you over there along with your sister; stop treating me like an ally. Because we are not."

The perky heavy cruiser stood silent to the declaration without any way to make light of it.

Nagato shook her head in pity. She stood up from the pillow as the door opened for her to let in the light. "I've heard enough. Oh, and for the record. There's been talk that you might or might not be a Siren. I would have still welcomed you with open arms to the Sakura Empire… even if you were a Siren." She then walked out of the room with Atago behind her.

E-2 gnashed her teeth with anger and her eyes stood sharp. "I'm… not… I'm not…" She muttered to herself as she was left to silence.

**I think I finally have a solid outline for the rest of the story. Lately, my chapters have been short because I didn't want to add too much in a chapter and then realize that I could have saved that part for later, and added something else that would have fit into that instance. For those of you that are curious, I plan to end this story around 10 chapters from now or earlier, with the story being over before this year ends. **


	12. A Coming Storm

**Chapter 12: A Coming Storm**

A new day had arrived, and it marked a grim heart-pounding event for the white-haired carrier. She had received a silent morning meal courtesy of Takao. The Sakura Empire woman hadn't had much to converse with the injured woman after hearing the harsh events that transpired from her sister and Nagato.

E-2 didn't care about the image that she painted. If they were finally starting to hate her, then she was more than happy to keep pushing it along. She stood on her bed in the silence of the warehouse that would make an occasional noise from the wind coming into contact with the old metal. Aside from that, she found the silence to be harmonious as her only source of sound played in her mind. It was at that moment; she had decided to become more proactive in the time that she had. At one point, she had an advantageous notion that she would regain her strength here while they considered her to be a pacified threat, only for her to forge her perfect counterattack when the time was right, and when they least expected it. The prior events had infuriated her to the point that she discarded her previous notions, and she didn't mind if her power wasn't fully operational. She now desired to get out of this place as soon as she could. Luckily, she still had an ace up her sleeve that harbored the element of surprise and that was her faithful eagle. Her eyes closed to establish the connection as she did before however, she failed to connect to the only companion she had. A sense of dread washed over her for a second, until she realized that she could still sense her eagle out there, even if she couldn't see what he saw or was able to communicate.

Her anxiety about the reasons for having this ability was not lost on her as it fortified fleeting fears that she continued to push deeper and deeper in the corners of her mind. For now, nothing else mattered to her other than fulfilling what her body, mind, and soul harmoniously agreed on, escape.

Half an hour went by, and the metal doors of the warehouse opened. The light bled through the opening, catching the injured woman off guard. Four figures emerged from the light with the infamous wheelchair that E-2 had begun to dislike.

"E-2, the time has arrived. Shall we meet destiny head-on?" Came the words of Takao. Her voice and face were both serious. The other three that were with her were Hornet, Zuikaku, and Atago. They all looked serious as well with a worried expression about what today would hold.

"Hmph. I wonder how long you stood awake last night thinking of that line. Destiny is outdated for me- I already know how my story ends." She cracked a broken smile that triggered all four of the women in different ways.

For Hornet, it was ultimate sadness. For Zuikaku, immense anger. For Atago, deep pity for E-2. And lastly, for Takao, another sadness much like Hornet's but different. This was someone she had hoped to fight against as a friend, but she started to accept that maybe it was a pipe dream not meant to be.

She was taken out of the docking area and toward a place full of cherry blossom trees. The smell in the air-filled her with a sickly sweetness that made her want to vomit, probably because she had always associated these smells as the harbinger of battle with the Sakura Empire in the past. Her past came to focus, and she built up a solid conclusion as to what she was and where she had come from. It didn't provide her with any warmth but at least it was better than the alternative that she dread could be the truth.

The paved path of cobblestone broke her out of her deep thoughts when she started to feel the wheelchair fight back against the ground. She turned her head to the side and noticed that she was being taken over a stone bridge with a crystal-clear pond underneath it.

Once past that, a white building stood at the foreground of her vision. "I see. A secluded facility away from prying eyes. Deep into the trees for maximum privacy. Would anyone be able to hear me scream out here?" She said with playful mocking.

"I wish we didn't have to hear you- period!" Came the angry spat from Zuikaku.

"That's enough! It's too early for spats of anger," declared Takao. Her stern voice had forced Zuikaku to retreat her temper and brood in silence at the white-haired woman. She wished she could have spent another day at Azur Lane like she did yesterday with Enterprise, even if the maid had tagged along with them.

**(Zuikaku's flashback)**

Her memories of yesterday replayed with fondness. She and Enterprise had walked together toward the dock area to observe how the Eagle Union's strongest carrier ship was progressing. The ship looked better than it did before. A grand amount of work and love had been poured into it- not just by Akashi, but by other fellow shipgirls that knew their way around a blowtorch, hammer, and the like. The large carved indent was a thing of the past with fresh metal and concrete, expertly laid out on the platform of the carrier ship.

Seeing her ship brought a happy smile to the Eagle Union's face. While her ship was a representation of warfare that she disliked, it was also a part of her ultimately. It meant the same amount to her as it did to all her allies.

Their stay at the docks was short-lived when she unavoidably glanced at the inevitable progress of her counterpart's ship. That ship invoked a depressing aura to it, filled with untold destruction and doom. She tore herself away from the cracked mirrored version of her ship.

"I'm so proud of you that you're up and about today, Enty. You even look a whole lot better than before- ack! That's not to say that I was implying that you looked ugly- no, no, just that you looked healthier." Zuikaku had opened her mouth when they had left the docks. Her words stumbled all over the place that brought a burning red face to herself.

Belfast, who had been walking behind them with a silent brooding pout, sighed at the brown-haired woman. There were times that she wondered how that Sakura Empire could even be her love rival if she had a habit of shooting herself in the foot. The maid's pity look became a thing of the past when Enterprise found herself laughing at the nervous words of the other woman.

"Zui, I know what you were talking about, relax. It's odd for me to think of myself as beautiful anyway. I guess I never gave it that much thought," she said with a humble shrug and a fond smile that would make anyone weak in the knees.

Zuikaku and Belfast could see a golden moment before their eyes, and the one to capitalize on that moment was Zuikaku. "R-really? Because… you're quite beautiful…" she forced down a large blush that almost made her pass out, the only thing that kept her from doing just that, was seeing the outcome of her words.

Enterprise remained silent for a second, taking it all in, and then held a hand close to her face. "This is all so sudden. Well, thank you for those kind words, Zuikaku. While I don't ever take the time to think about that, it does feel nice to hear it from someone else."

"Don't feel bad about not noticing. If you ask me, the fact that you don't care about that kind of stuff just proves how humble and so not self-centered you are."

"But of course. Enterprise's charm comes from her selflessness and heroic nature to protect the ones she loves. She has more pressing matters than gawking at herself in a mirror," stated Belfast with harsh eyes at the brown-haired swordswoman.

"Yeah, thanks for that input, Belfast. I do have eyes," she said the last sentence with a whisper to the Royal Navy.

"Let's change the topic, you two. I feel uncomfortable being put in the spotlight when it comes to topics like beauty. While others might be into that sort of conversation, I'm a fish out of water in that." She walked past them with her intended course being the academy grounds.

Zuikaku stared daggers at the Royal maid when Enterprise had moved ahead. "So, what now- passing maid? Are you finally deciding on stepping up?" Her tone was bossy and assertive with her hands on her hips.

Belfast felt offended but made no move to ignore those harsh words. "At the risk of devaluing myself in this petty little competition with you, I have."

"Oh, what's so petty about fighting for the woman you love?" She mocked the maid with a school-yard smirk like a kid wanting to dare another to pick up a bug.

"It's not about that. It's the way we are going about it that feels so childish. Blowing up Siren ships for mere flexing, shoving each other to get her a drink, underhanded insults tossed around by us. That all needs to stop. She's not some grand prize that is waiting for one to finish this race first. Only she has the power to decide if she wants a relationship."

"You're right, but that's not going to stop me from treating her like a queen." The fact that she felt flushed and lightheaded by even talking about Enterprise in that way spoke volumes to the Crane sister.

Belfast closed her eyes to center her thoughts after hearing the passion from Zuikaku's words. "My, what a provocative claim. A queen is someone to protect and serve, but not one to intimately exchange sweet nothings with. I'll stick to the plain role of a lover without resorting to such titles.… my wish for this little… thing that's going on with us, is to be handled like grown-ups pursuing another would be like."

Zuikaku found a humorful pleasure in the maid's words. "And how would that be? Lacking in drama? Passionless? Robotic-like? A lot of romance novels always have that fire of competition with the drama always being pushed to the limit. Face it, passing maid. No love is pursued without accepting that you could get burned from it. That's what makes the journey of conquering the love of the one you like, so… explosive and lacking in common sense."

"Preposterous! Then why don't you shout it out loud right now and tell her how you feel? That would sure be explosive and filled with drama when everyone nearby catches your sweet words of declaration," said the maid.

"W-well… I'm waiting for the right moment. My actions will be what will make my words more powerful later. Besides, words are not my strong suit, so I rather let my actions carry me more before I form the right words."

"I see… a very sensible idea, Miss Zuikaku. There is always a place for discretion, after all. However, do prepare yourself for that competition that you speak so highly of. I will no longer idly stand by and let you advance what delusions you might have."

"And yet… you find yourself taking arms against these 'delusions' of mine. You see my potential in sweeping Enty off her feet as something real, that's all I ever wanted from you. Then fight, Miss Belfast. Show me that your undelusional love is stronger than mine." Zuikaku extended her hand out with a gentleman's agreement handshake to her love rival.

Belfast stared down the hand in front of her with deep thought. This was her point of no return. The moment where she had to fully commit what her heart yearned for. An unseen battle of love would soon take place, fueled by their tactics on how to approach their crush. One with discretion and cautious advances, and the other with burning, bold, and passionate moves. Of course, they weren't locked into these styles if they had better methods and had the freedom to mix it up as they desired. All's fair in love and war after all. "Very well. I hope there are no hard feelings when this is all over, and I'll try not to throw too much fire your way." She squeezed Zuikaku's hand, making sure that she held back her anger and didn't crush it, this was also the same for the other.

"Oh no, playing with fire is kind of my thing," she said with a smirk.

Their eyes never strayed away from each other. A new sense of respect formed in the brown-haired carrier toward the royal navy maid. They both now surged with the same level of unrestrained motivation to capture the heart of the Eagle Union.

"Hey, are you both okay?" Enterprise broke the intense fire in their eyes that only they could comprehend.

"You betcha! We were just having a chat about naval tactics," said Zuikaku.

"You were?" A sparkle of intrigue filled the Eagle Union's eyes. It was hard not too for one who had once surrounded herself with only combat details and fighting. She had a whole mind chamber of useful information that would interest any who were on the topic. At least now, she could provide friendly tips on a casual level without feeling like that was all who she was.

**(End of Flashback)**

The scene melted away from Zuikaku's mind, along with the smile that Enterprise had on her face when she started to talk about her combat tactics.

What replaced the smile, was the counterpart of Enterprise's glare and frown. "Do you have a staring problem?" Pierced the words of the injured woman that fully brought Zuikaku back.

She looked away with an annoyed blush on her face from being caught. "Pfft, like you're one to talk."

They reached the white building that stood imposing over the vegetation in the area. At the front of the building, Akagi, and Akashi stood at the door.

"Are we all assembled?" Stated Akagi that earned her a resounding nod from all the others. "Good. Let's begin the first stage of testing immediately," she said as she allowed them to enter the building.

"Where's Lady Nagato?" Asked Takao when they entered the main room that housed a metal operating-like table at the center. Aside from that, various kinds of machinery lined the walls, and at the back of the room, a large metal sphere with rotatable rings loomed. The perimeter around the center had metal railings as well.

"What the heck is that?" Asked Hornet to the sphere that remained motionless.

"Lady Nagato is busy with important matters, or that's what she claims. She almost sounded like she didn't want to be around our prisoner. As for that device, this is what will tell us how she operates inside of her. It will all be revealed once we place her on the table," replied Akagi.

They worked together to unstrap E-2 from the wheelchair but in the next instance, the white-haired woman made one last attempt to escape. She used her left arm to strike Takao on the side of the neck, rendering her to drop to the floor in pain. The wild-haired woman then headbutted Zuikaku in the forehead while the Crane woman was still processing her ally's sudden takedown.

Now on her feet, with the momentum she garnered from her two successful hits, she locked with the next target that stood between her and the door. Her left hand was already raised to deliver a strike when she made eyes with a stunned Hornet. E-2's body halted further action, as she was unable to deliver a cold strike toward the blond woman.

This brief hesitation had allowed Atago to hit her with the hilt of her katana on the side of her neck, making E-2 quickly drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Sigh, forgive me, Enterprise. I hope that you weren't somewhere public at the moment," said Atago with a frown. She hoped for the scenario in which the Eagle Union had just woken up, changed to daily clothes, and only to be seamlessly knocked out from unknown pain at the back of her neck that made her drop back onto the bed.

"How bad was that strike!?" Roared Akagi. She had made her way to the sphere to double-check last minute things when she saw the strike delivered to E-2.

Atago was already rubbing the sore spot on her sister's neck who still looked out of it with hazy eyes. "We're all okay, too- thanks for noticing. Sigh, relax, she must have known that some damage might be a given when she allowed us to study her. I assure you that my attack will not leave a mark," she said with stern brows.

"W-what happened?" Groaned Takao as she made sense of why her world was turned sideways a minute ago.

While the perky cruiser answered her sister's question, Hornet found the strength to move her body and make her way to Zuikaku. "Zui! That headbutt looked pretty nasty, are you okay? How many fingers am I holding out?" She held out three fingers toward the Crane sister that had trouble focusing.

"H-hey, I didn't know that Enty had younger twin sisters," she said with half-seriousness, as the other half was there to make light of the headbutt to calm Hornet's worried tones.

"Very funny but don't try to be a jokester right now. That hit really did look bad."

"I'm fine!" She didn't mean to yell out that part, but her wooziness got the better of her. "This one was focused more on the forehead compared to the last one that almost broke my nose. I think she would have broken it this time if she did aim for my nose. Ugh… she's like a pirate that would rather ram her vessel into another," she shook her head to rid the last of her dizziness.

Once everyone was back on their feet, they placed the still unconscious white-haired woman onto the metal table. Metal straps wrapped themselves around her wrists and legs to avoid further attacks to be orchestrated.

"She seems to be perfectly centered. Now, Akashi, is the machine ready to be used?" Said Akagi.

Akashi was on the opposite side of the room with all kinds of levers and a screen in front of her. "It sure is, nya! Of course, I designed this device based on your specifications from an older machine that we had in storage- just modified for this occasion, nya!"

"Thank you for the summary, Akashi. While this is indeed my design, I do lack the engineering talents that you have honed perfectly. For that, please feel free to operate it as you see fit while considering my input."

"You got it, nya!" Declared the catgirl with enthusiasm for playing with a new piece of equipment.

"Good. Begin by turning on the machine to twenty-five percent to see how she fares."

Akashi did as she was told. The sphere's rings began to rotate slowly, gaining more speed as time went on. The metal table that E-2 laid on soon began to glow with symbols etched into the metal that could not have been seen earlier.

All the other shipgirls stood with their mouths open at the alien-like experiment that bordered on ritualistic due to the ominous green glow from the symbols.

"Akagi, what is the reason for this device again?" Asked Takao with added worry. It was not that she didn't trust Akagi to handle Siren related matters. A good reason for her fears was the black mental cube that was misused by the brown-haired woman that ended up causing a lot of problems. She hoped that she didn't regret having Akagi handle this delicate Siren related project.

"Hmph, your worries are noted, Takao. This device will not harm her in the slightest, so rest easy knowing that Enterprise won't feel any pain. As for the device, this sphere takes energy from the host on the table and mixes it with its own energy, which is Siren powered by an almost depleted power core of one of our mass-produced ships."

"You still had Siren energy cores from the decommissioned Siren ships?!" Shouted Hornet.

"Just this one, and it's not what you think. These cores are useless without the black mental cube consistently giving them their energy source. You could think of them as glorified water tanks that only hold what the black mental cube was providing for them."

"Then how is this device able to continue? Is it only going to be draining energy from the host? I can imagine the cores already tapped out power to have already died out by now." Questioned Zuikaku.

"True. It's because of her. Akashi and I decided to take a leap of fate on the fact that she was born from the black mental cube. She could very well have the ability to self-power the device and core, as well as to take over once the core's original energy is drained."

"Yeah, nya! The reason for this would give us a more in-depth look at her structure since it's piggybacking off her energy for the foreseeable future. It's harmless and will only make her tired for a bit after the session is done."

"I see. Then what information will this device tell us?" Asked Takao.

"Everything, all we need is to poke and prod until we can find anything that might clue us in on why Enterprise and she are linked and have a bond of shared pain," answered Akagi. Her eyes were then filled with hopeful anticipation that maybe she could find a way to free her sister from the mind singularity that the Sirens imprisoned her in.

"Okay, let's see what twenty-five percent gives us, nya!" Akashi typed away from the connected computer that worked with the sphere. The sphere then glowed faintly with a light source that ignited at the center.

Everyone, including Akashi and Akagi, gasped at a projected manifestation of the black mental cube.

Akagi narrowed her gaze. "So, this is how she sees her heart? Do not be alarmed. This is only a projection and the black mental cube is gone for sure."

"Huh, nya! Nya! Rotate that projection a bit!" Akashi was so caught up in her discovery that she hilariously forgot that she was the one controlling the machine. She began to rotate the projection until everyone's gasps were heard for another round.

Only half of the black mental cube was blackened with the other half glowing radiantly blue.

"The other half looks like a traditional wisdom cube… and it even resembles our own," said Hornet with wavering eyes. It was odd but she could feel a presence emanating from that side of the cube, a presence that reminded her of her sister that only further solidified her thoughts that she already had for the white-haired carrier.

"Can we figure out if she is a Siren from this device?" Said Zuikaku.

"It will take time. This sphere works in the way that it uses her energy to read off everything that makes up her. Things like memories, experiences, desires, and fears are all searchable through this."

"Wow, that's amazing," said Takao.

"Don't be too impressed. Call this a convenient situation that her energy has a familiar connection to the Siren core we are using- this is only possible with the aid of Siren tech after all. It makes things easier because of that, and having any other energy used to read her would be like sailing through a fog."

"If that's the case, doesn't that answer the question that she is a Siren?" Declared Zuikaku.

"Not necessarily, she can be a by-product of them, like that of a machine or a lab rat like she put it before. Regardless, the time for answers is now. Akashi, begin searching through her memories first."

"Yes, ma'am, nya!" Akashi rotated the sphere's various rings until the projection of the cube zoomed inside itself to produce another image. The new image was of a moonless night that was unidentifiable.

"Is the image messing up?" Asked Akagi?

"No, nya! This is an outer layer of her heart that she relates too, but I can't make tails of what we are seeing."

"Wait, I hear water. This feels like a nighttime image of a sea," said Takao.

"Zoom in, Akashi," sternly said the Omni-tailed Sakura Empire.

Akashi would immediately regret fulfilling the request when another image replaced the dark sea. This new image was various quick images that assaulted the eyes without stopping. Everyone gasped at the sight of gunfire, flames, metal swinging through the dark, and arrows being fired.

Everyone could see that a battle was being played out with shadowy figures filling the image. Everyone was too caught up with the scene that they all failed to notice the rapid panic breathing of the wild-haired woman that still laid fast asleep on the metal table.

Akashi modified the scene to make it brighter for them all to see. The image was clear now. It was E-2 donning the same outfit that she had when they first encountered her in the mirror sea with her bow in her hands. She ferociously fought off a large number of faceless attackers with her skills and strength alone.

The display of power was hard not to ignore as it reminded Zuikaku on the destructive potential this woman held when she was at her peak. Zuikaku felt a feeling of dread and confusion when she noticed a single shadowy figure squaring off with E-2. The way that figure moved and attacked resonated with her on an uncomfortable level.

"Hold it, please focus on the one that's fighting with her!" Roared Zuikaku.

Her request was approved, and Akashi focused the image on the shadowy figure. Zuikaku's heart dropped when her face appeared from the image. In the image, that version of herself looked tired and focused with a fear that invoked a need to survive against her opponent who appeared to be not all that there with vacant eyes.

"Why am I there? What are we watching!?" Declared the brown-haired carrier.

"These seem to be… memories?!" Shouted Akashi from the screen.

Zuikaku gripped a nearby metal railing that perfectly showed how anxious she was to see this outcome through.

In the image, her counterpart failed to keep up with E-2's speed. The white-haired woman moved her hands seamlessly until she captured the katana from the hands of her counterpart.

Zuikaku staggered back when she witnessed E-2 ram the blade into the chest of her counterpart. The look of horror and bewilderment painted the tired face of the carrier on the projection, and her eyes grew life-less as she slumped onto the shoulder of her killer.

"This can't be right- that isn't me!"

Akashi was the first to notice E-2 thrashing around on the metal table with a terror-induced panic in her sleep.

"Akashi, end this projection now!" Shouted Akagi.

"I'm trying too, but it won't respond, nya." Blaring alien-like sounds roared into reality from the projection. A looming dark vessel emerged from the darkness with a cannon, ready to strike down anything in its sights.

"Is that…?!" Akagi looked fearful of the outline ship that she knew all too well. The scene ended with a titanic blast that made contact with the white-haired woman that killed the projection feed.

"Ahh!" E-2 awoke from her unconscious state with a gasp of air, and wide frightened eyes. Her body began to spasm, forcing itself to break free from the restraints.

"Is she having a seizure?! Get her out of those restraints!" Yelled Akagi as she dropped down from the metal ledge, she had been monitoring things.

Takao had been the one to reach the white-haired carrier, who had stopped thrashing around. "Her face is pale and cold. Is she breathing?" She went in for a pulse check while Atago had already begun to work on the metal restraints.

E-2's eyes, that were open all along, came back with life. She yelled a piercing cry into the room. Her head turned in all manners of directions until they landed on Zuikaku. "You're supposed to be dead! All of you are supposed to be dead!" Her yells were mad and incoherent to all of them.

"No one's dead, can you relax and listen to me- ah!" Takao felt the force of the wild-haired woman push her aside with her uninjured arm. She tried to make a run for it, but her knees felt like jelly that rendered her unable to properly stand. She fell onto the cold concrete floor in a daze, with enough strength to get her to the nearest wall.

"Stay back! All of you stay back! W-what did you all do to me!? That nightmare… it was real… so real. The pain… I could feel my lungs collapse on themselves as they filled with water. The burning feel of flesh… just like Enterprise's arrow… that was no dream!"

"She's losing it! Nya!" Yelled Akashi.

Zuikaku shook off the dreadful vibes she had received from seeing herself get stabbed in the projection and jumped over one of the metal bars to get to the center of the room.

Everything in E-2's sight was distorted as she refused to stop for a second and collect her bearings. A hand came out of nowhere and landed across the woman's face that sent her meeting the cold floor.

"W-what was that for?" Urged Hornet with a winched face, knowing full well that her sister felt that in Azur Lane.

The force of the slap had caused Zuikaku to hold her hand out in pain. "Ugh! You really are thick-skulled. Pull yourself together, Miss- I'm awaiting my destiny. All that talking big earlier and a little flashback spook you?"

A small bruise could be seen on the white-haired carrier's face as she forced herself to look at Zuikaku. "Y-you're one to talk. The visible shakiness in your voice tells me that what you saw got you spooked. This all doesn't make sense… you're dead… I remember now… I killed you with your own blade. Ugh!" Her head started to throb uncontrollably, making her spasm, as more flashes of memories that were no longer distorted soon began to enter her mind. An image of the brown-haired Sakura Empire dying in one of her aerial explosions flashed in her mind. Followed by another instance where she held her head underneath the water until she stopped moving. Another one was when she gripped her by the throat and allowed one of her planes to ram into her from the air. Her stomach betrayed her, feeling the urge to vomit on the spot.

"She looks like she's having a nervous breakdown," said Takao softly.

"We need to do something." Hornet pushed aside the others and kneeled in front of the injured woman. "Hey, please relax before your heart gives out," urged the blond.

"G-get away from me. You're not helping!" She carelessly locked gazes with the blond that resulted in another flash of pain. In the past, whenever she saw Hornet, she would feel a throbbing pain in her head that was like static on a tv channel. This rang true when she also heard Belfast's giggle and the shipgirls when she arrived in Azur Lane. However, this was the first time when she received a clear picture aside from the violent ones that she got from Zuikaku just now.

For a minute that felt more like two seconds to everyone in the room, E-2 received a different memory; a pleasant memory. She had just awoken from her sleep due to the intensive knocking from her dorm room door. The one knocking didn't even bother to wait for a response until the door opened to reveal Hornet. "Hey, sis. Get up already. Don't tell me that you're staying in the whole day now?"

Another voice filled the room and E-2 realized that it was her speaking, however, that voice sounded like a version of her that was naive and less harsh but still carried a sense of uncaring flatness that she had. "Hornet, I told you to not disturb me this early."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry… but I need your godly luck today- please."

The puppy dog eyes of her younger sister filled her with a reluctant joy to humor her at least. She had a feeling that they never did things together that often, and it was one of those days to make an exception. "Do I even have a choice?" She said with sleep filled slurs to her voice.

"Nah, I'll get you your clothes ready," said Hornet as she opened the closet of her sister. That closet had a mirror that once it was opened, the angle reflected the face of Enterprise where E-2's point of view had been looking at. The memory ended, leaving E-2 silent with wide eyes. She gazed upon Hornet's worried face and felt a deep shame wash over her that made her look away for the first time that didn't relate to pain.

"Can I get you up on your feet?" Urged Hornet for a response from her. She received none from the white-haired carrier.

"Here, let me help," said Takao and both placed a docile E-2 back on to her wheelchair. Takao glanced at Akagi who remained silent with a deep look. "Akagi, this wasn't the conclusion you were hoping for, but we need to stop for today."

"It's fine. It's not like this session didn't bear fruit. We were able to learn new things about her."

Takao agreed and helped Hornet take E-2 back to the warehouse cell.

Zuikaku stood alone with Atago, the events from the projection still holding a lingering effect on her.

"Do you need to talk?" Asked Atago with concern for her fellow sister-in-arms.

Zuikaku shook the tension and frustrations away with a scoff. "No, I don't need to talk about this. That wasn't me she killed because I'm still here, obviously. It was nothing more than a dream," she said sternly.

"That was no dream." Both looked at Akagi who had overheard the words of the Crane sister. "Those were memories of a distant past she lived, and they were real to her by the look of horror she had on her face just by seeing you."

"How can that be! A-are you saying that she could be from another world or dimension!?" Said Zuikaku.

"That possibility isn't as absurd as you would think. In your report, Purifier stated that she modified the cube to an unknown extent if that was the real issue here. What's to say that the black mental cube could have been a gateway to somewhere else?"

"No, that can't be it. That Siren was all high and mighty proclaiming that she was going to take in the cube to gain Enty's power. I doubt she would make something like that then."

"Unless she was unaware of that possibility when she modified it and fate took its course afterword," remarked Akagi.

"Ugh, you're making my head hurt. I'm out of here." Zuikaku stomped out of the building with an unshakable stubbornness.

"Hmph, Atago… any input?"

Atago placed a hand on her chin to think about it. "I don't, I'm afraid," she said with closed eyes.

"Akashi?" Said Akagi to her other companion.

"Nya, I just work the device, don't know any of this scary Siren stuff. I've learned to keep my paws away from that stuff when I first saw that scary looking cube."

"Yes, forgive me then," said Akagi with some shame to herself when the cat-girl brought up the past. Akagi glanced upward to silently lock eyes with Prinz Eugen, who had been leaning on a railing platform above them.

The Iron Blood ship had seen everything that played out with a watchful gaze. She shrugged her shoulders toward Akagi to express her thoughts.

The aircraft carrier silently nodded in understanding.

**(E-2)**

A short while later, E-2 had been placed on her bed in her glass cell. Her face still looked drained and she looked semi-aware of her surroundings.

"We should get some medical help to check up on her," said Hornet to Takao. The twin-tailed blond found herself grabbing a rag to clean the sweat from the woman's forehead.

"I made a call for assistance, and they should be getting here soon." Takao's face turned surprised when the white-haired carrier had taken a firm grip on her arm. "No… I had enough of your people's meddling. Leave me to rest… that's the least you can do for subjecting me to that torture."

"We're trying to help you, so please lie down," said Hornet.

E-2 didn't have the strength to continue defying them and found herself passing out on the spot. She lost all sense of time while she was asleep. Her eyes forced themselves to open and her first observation was that she was alone. Also, nightfall had covered the outside world, telling her that she had been out almost the whole day. Her body felt like lead and everything ached to a small annoying degree. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she noticed a plate of food sitting on the nearby desk.

An appetizing sandwich stood in front of her with many layers that created a salivating mouth to the white-haired woman. She half-expected for a low-quality meal due to her rudeness with Nagato.

The sandwich still felt warm due to it being toasted meaning that whoever made it had brought it in recently. It had two kinds of meats with cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Aside from the sandwich, there was a bar of chocolate and an apple.

The chocolate bar was a dead giveaway to who it could be if only she cared enough. She had the urge to shove the food to the ground and scream into the empty room for them to stop treating her with so much kindness.

She knew it in her heart that she didn't deserve anything thoughtful or warm from them.

She played back the memories that had been sharpened due to the machine that they subjected her to. She was not going to play innocent with herself. She had been aware of all the dark atrocities she committed; they had all seen what she had been seeing whenever she closed her eyes. The dark sea, the countless bodies that were Sakura Empire in origin, and the murder of someone they knew dying continuously.

She paused for a second as her head throbbed. It didn't make sense. None of it made any sense. The biggest outlier from her whole ordeal that originated from her dark unknown past was the notion that she had killed the same woman again and again. The only other thing that could compete with that would be the fact that she had faced that massive cannon on multiple occasions with her death always being certain.

Her knees felt like giving out when her thoughts had shifted to more pleasant ones, that was to say, that they weren't truly pleasant but good enough compared to her previous ones. She thought back with the dream that had Hornet in it. The feel of the dream felt like one of nostalgia that never lost its luster. It felt like a time far away and a time that never happened. A world so far detached from the dark sea that she couldn't fathom that she was the one talking to Hornet.

It wasn't her, was the conclusion that she came up with. A fraction of her mind wanted to tell her to ignore this feeling of uncertainty but logically, she knew the reason. "That was a memory of her… the one I must kill." That was indeed a memory from Enterprise's mind that had wormed its way into her mind.

A small voice in her mind echoed to her that they were one and the same and that she should understand that. That very echo also invoked a feeling of jealousy toward her Eagle Union counterpart for having a warm memory while she had nothing but despair. In a way, her warm memories should also be hers, but it didn't translate like that to the injured woman. They were worlds apart in outlooks with how they saw life. In the end, the woman she hated would never understand all the hardships that have started to sharpen in focus from her past.

Her fatigue washed over her along with hunger. While she desired to throw the food to the ground, she knew it wouldn't be the wisest of choices. She swallowed her anger and stubbornness; the sandwich soon followed the same route.

Halfway into her food, a giggling sinister voice spawned from thin air.

The injured woman acted quickly and grabbed a book that rested near her. It shot out of her hand toward the direction of the sinister voice that laid behind her. The book flew through the chest of the unannounced visitor that smiled back at her with yellow eyes and a pale face.

"It's you…" uttered the injured woman with a dumbfoundedness to her feeble attack. She tried not to show how stunned and horrified she was that the book had gone through her like some ghost.

The Siren that now stood within her cell walls appeared to be mocking her with silent laughs. This was the same woman that she had encountered twice during her stay here.

"Neat trick. I assume that's the reason that no one else can see you except me?" Stated E-2, her voice maintaining a leveled tone.

"Oh, I guess I could say you're warm but there's more to it than just that. Was I disturbing your meal?" She held back a laugh as if seeing the woman eating was the funniest thing she had ever seen.

"If you're here to kill me, then do it already. Being in the same room as you makes me a whole new kind of sick."

The sinister smile died out from the Siren, and she looked faintly insulted and hurt by the comment. Nevertheless, she repaired her expression with a challenging smirk. She began to walk closer to E-2 with her radiant yellow eyes hardly letting up. "Chill for a bit. Whatever intention you think I have is a fantasy. Besides, how could I hurt you when I'm not even here." She walked through the glass walls like a ghost passing through solid stone.

"And here I thought you had some sort of weird camouflage. Is it the type where you can only be seen from one direction because of lighting?"

The Siren playfully tapped her finger on her chin to give it some humorful thought. "What an active imagination. To be able to send a projection behind enemy lines while maintaining its visibility to that of something directional based. Ha, you think just like someone I knew, but you're getting colder. Don't try to force that pretty brain of yours into overdrive now. Just see me as a ghost that can only be heard and seen through you and you alone."

"Shove your vagueness and tell me what you want. Or are you here to share the same fate as Purifier?"

"No, I rather not act all dumb as she did. Pfft, the nerves of her stabbing us in the back for a half-baked scheme like that. At least she was able to provide something of use." Her eyes continued to stare at E-2 with intrigue and fondness.

"Then leave. I won't have business with you or any other Siren."

"You're so much different compared to that Eagle Union girl scout yet, both of you are like kindred spirits. That look you just gave me could kill anyone ten times over. She lacks that murderous look of someone that had spent her whole life fighting to survive or maybe, it's not that intense as yours… just yet."

"What did you say?" Replied E-2.

"Oh, I thought it was obvious. There's more than just that hard exterior you got going there. There's also that broken and jagged feel of someone who long ago discarded all that unity crap that these shipgirls are all so upitty about. Got to give credit for Enterprise who didn't fall into the same path as you, such a boring outcome. But you… yes… you're not a champion, you're a survivor. You never needed any use of that at all. All you needed was your wits, your strength, and your unwavering means to an end."

E-2 felt a coldness in her heart that slowly spread all over her chest. This Siren woman seemed to know a dangerous amount about her that put her on guard.

She placed a hand upon the glass in a sympathetic way. "Enty… can I call you Enty? I'm going to call you Enty. I get it that you might hate that name but right now, it's the safest name to use for you. I know that you have so many questions about yourself and your life. I've seen you have some intense nightmares that call upon those fragments from the past. You must be so scared and confused, but don't worry, I can help you make sense of all that."

"Why would you do that?" Coldly retorted the injured woman.

"Because I'm one of the good ones! The others would like nothing more than to erase you from our equation regardless of the fact that you're a considerable unit to face in a battle that would further push us. They see you as a loose cannon that paints an ugly reflection. But I owe it to her to see this through."

"Who? Stop being cryptic- who are you talking about?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know? Sadly, I don't want to say anything else. This layout of a place is no good for that. Why… we can't even feel the presence of each other in this state. So, meet me in these coordinates." She raised her hands and then a white flash of light pierced the eyes of the injured woman.

E-2 let out a cry of pain as she dropped to the floor.

"Seriously, that hurt? Hmm, it's worse than I thought. My bad, I'll tone it down next time… if there is a next time. Don't keep me waiting, Enty. I expect you to show up in a week's time."

"Khh! You must not be that bright if you can't grasp that I'm locked in here," venomously retorted E-2 from her place on the ground.

"Oh… that hurts, but that's why I gave you a week. Besides, you could get out of this place if you wanted it. All you need is the right motivation. One week from now, Enty! Don't keep me waiting and consider this your first test." She continued to the exit of the warehouse and ultimately disappeared halfway there.

The injured woman rubbed the stinging part of her left eye that had arisen from whatever she did to her eyes. All she knew that a set of coordinates had bled themselves into the foreground of her mind. They were a set that she couldn't even try and forget as if they had been beaten into her like a novice undergoing countless hours of piano practice.

"Right motivation…? Tss… there's nothing else I need aside from hatred." She would have to give her credit to one thing, she did have a way to escape. However, it wasn't ready yet, she wasn't able to set it into motion, and even if she could, what could she do in her condition? She was forced to play this off for a bit longer until she fully recovered and strike again at Enterprise when the time was right. Thinking about it now, she feared that the clock had begun to tick down, and she desired no more of those sessions that they subjected her today.

She closed her eyes to establish her connection with her bird and she received no feedback from it. A worry feeling entered her heart if her only companion was all right.

**There you have it, folks, the story seems to be picking up now. In these few days, I concluded that I'll be focusing my time on this story more, as I really want to finish this story. All scenes and plot are all there but it's the process of writing them all down that is the true challenge. Next chapter will show how Enterprise dealt with the shared pain when E-2 was connected with the machine. There will also be some Zuikaku and Enterprise in that one too. **


	13. Foreign Emotion Part 1

**Chapter 13: Foreign Emotion Part 1**

Enterprise stood alone in the middle of a sea; her eyes widened in horrific realization when her mind made sense of her surroundings. Breaths elevated in her chest at the vast empty sea that stretched beyond the horizon. A sight like that wouldn't have bothered her, but this one almost felt fatally imposing to see all the emptiness. "Where am I?" She looked around and noticed that her right arm appeared to be all right.

Her breath released steadily with comfort, for she knew what kind of place this was. "Yorktown! This is your doing, isn't it?" She had a heartbeat of anticipation to see her older sister again in whatever form she had been allowed.

She waited and waited for her sister to appear and add context to this transient dream that she found herself in. A cold chill ran down her spine from out of nowhere and the sky, that had been a clear blue, had begun to darken with ominous gray clouds that appeared to move independently toward her regardless of direction.

The clouds grew thick until the sun was snuffed out of the sky, and this world's cruel transformation had concluded. Color from the sea drained its blue tones to be replaced with a darkish and murky color. Enterprise could feel her feet being weakly pulled down by this dark water, but with only a little effort, she could manage to keep herself afloat.

Her reserved hope that this was a welcoming dream like the one that she had about her older sister had vanished, just like the color in this world. The cold shiver on her spine intensified enough that it could have given her frostbite all over her body. She held herself from turning around as her instincts warned her of something encroaching from behind her.

Sweat from fear ran down the side of her chin, and she mentally forced herself to turn around. What stood before her was nothing. No enemy, no threat, and no sign of living beings. All that laid out in front of her was the now darkened sea-world that she resided in. She let out a sigh of relief, but her nerves were still on high alert.

A whooshing sound aimed around the general area around her, causing her to flinch. The next thing, a large shell exploded from the water next to her, creating powerful waves that threw her off balance. The cold and dark water washed her from head to toe, further creating a sense of anxiety around her from being half-drowned from the waves.

Another attack landed in front of her that sent her flying backward. She grunted in anger and landed back on her feet to stare down at the unknown enemy. "Show yourself! Maybe then you can get a clear shot at me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs to the taunting enemy that masked its presence.

A large blaring alien-like sound roared into existence in front of her. The space in front of her peeled away as if it were a painting of a harmless backdrop, and behind that, a large ship then manifested in front of her that made her recoil from its massive stature. "Had that ship always been there?" She internally asked herself.

From first glance, she couldn't see any defining features and the only description she could come up with was that it surrounded itself with a dark aura. To better help this idea, it could also be described as a mere shadow of an equally large object.

Its shadowy cannon lined up toward her face without skipping a beat and fired with the most destructive force she had ever seen. While its existence was a shadow, its weaponry was all too real with the destructive heat proving that.

Her combat experience managed to keep her alive from the deadly blast that almost gave her a burial at sea. If it wasn't for her hair-splitting reaction within that second, it would have been all over. The aftershock of the blast caused a huge wave that successfully pulled her into the water.

Her eyes grew hazy from being underwater for quite a while, however, it appeared that that was her saving grace as the massive ship had not fired a follow-up shot.

She did not want to die in this unknown dark sea that felt like it was gently pushing her down deeper, and deeper, as if it wanted her to willingly give up on her terms. She moved her arms around in the dark water to shake off the odd force that pushed her downward. An image of her rig and bow manifested in her mind like a light piercing the darkness that encroached all around her.

She then blasted out of the water with her rig attached and her bow in her hands. She looked undiminished from her underwater-spellbound state that she had been seconds before. "Unknown ship… don't think I'll go down so easy with a little water thrown across my face. I don't want to fight but you leave me with no choice- Enterprise, Engage!" She powerfully commanded her planes that shot out of her rig and grew in size.

The alien ship blasted a horn in response to this defiance that sounded like a screech from a ravenous animal. The sound alone made Enterprise stagger for a second from its creepiness.

Her first wave of planes was ready to drop their payloads. Sadly, they never got close enough for a point-blank hit.

The titanic warship emitted a sphere of electricity that disabled Enterprise's planes, rendering them to plummet into the sea like flies in a bug zapper.

"Huh?! Change course, now!" She ordered her remaining planes away from the ship before they joined the rest of their comrades in the watery graveyard of the sea.

Her planes obeyed and scrambled away from the massive ship before them. She summoned an arrow and pulled back her bowstring for a clear shot at the hull of the massive ship. Her shot released from her grip with an unrestrained amount of power behind it.

Horror painted her face when the titanic ship phased out of reality, leaving behind a flicker of blue light. The blue light ignited a good distance away from the previous spark of blue light, and with it, the massive ship phased back.

"No way… something that massive is able to evade that instantly?!"

Another blast roared its way toward her. Her next set of arrows connected with the incoming blast, but they did nothing to halt its destructive nature. In a desperate attempt, her remaining planes grouped together to cancel the blast, causing the metal of their remains to rain down.

She shielded her face from the metal debris that fell around her, and her face looked pained from seeing her planes take the fatal hit.

The ship's hull moved across the wreckage of the planes that fell in the water with slow and ominous advancement.

Enterprise grunted in frustration and retreated from the imposing enemy. "That thing… can't be real." She gasped when she heard another blast coming her way. She launched a single plane that she used to jump on top of it to gain air superiority. In the nick of time, she was able to miss the deadly shot that came her way.

In response to this, the titanic ship launched its own fighter planes. It was interesting to note that these planes didn't launch from an airstrip, but more like they were fragments of its overall shadowy mass, like how an amoeba would split itself. To comprehend that it didn't use an airstrip would have been the soundest of minds.

Enterprise widened her eyes in astonishment at the unreal sight before her. Those planes that angrily tore themselves from their vessel came toward her. "You got to be kidding me!" Enterprise held on tightly as her plane expertly maneuvered across the sky to dodge the group of five shadow fighters that were on her tail. After adjusting to the aggressive back and forth altitude changes from the dog fight, she locked her eyes at the targets and fired a multi-arrowed shot that claimed all five of them.

Her small victory was short-lived when two more shadow planes appeared from her sides and fired rockets covered in dark aura at her lone plane.

All she could do was jump off and land on the water; she was thankful that she was so low to the sea to begin with. A flicker of hope appeared when she saw an archipelago of islands in the distance. Looking behind her, she could see that she had lost the massive ship. "Is it gone? No… grr… I can't make heads or tails at finding its shadowy outline with all this cloudy forecast and darkness."

Her gaze tore away from the darkened horizon before her. Every second felt like the sky and clouds were growing darker all around her that would blanket this world in true darkness. She made it to the group of islands and found a ravine between two that gave her the best outcome to remain hidden. She felt safe among the rocky formation that a river stream flowed and a tree that rested behind her, but something had begun to eat away at her. This place wasn't here when she scanned the environment earlier. Back then, all she saw was endless water.

"That's enough games with her. You'll have plenty of time to play with your new variable later." A disembodied voice pierced the dark sky and atmosphere. The voice retained much power and harshness, and it was hard to pinpoint where the source had come from. Any attempt to solve that would be impossible with all the rocky environment that bounced the echoey voice all over the place.

Panic wormed its way into her mind and body. Her ears perked up when she heard moving machinery and gears meshing. She trembled silently, wondering where it was coming from.

The dreadful anticipation wasn't for long, as a cannon gathering energy filled her ears, and soon her vision.

A blast: full of heat and unrestrained power emerged from the darkness in where she sailed through to get to this spot. Her body made the quickest decision of her life that saved her in the end.

Explosive heat and the impact of rock shattering near her caused her to tumble down until she felt the water from the river stream wet her clothes.

Water and pain were all she could feel, the blast had caused her to go deaf in one ear and left the tree she sought refuge in ablaze.

The water continued to aggressively assault her face. The next thing she knew, her arm had begun to surge with a searing pain that was all too familiar. She weakly lifted herself from the stream with one hand, and horror was the next wave that assaulted her.

From the help of the burning tree providing a source of light due to the growing darkness all around her, she gazed into her reflection in the water.

Her counterpart's face stared back at her with the same horrified expressions that she was displaying. "No- no! Someone help me! Please!" Not only did she now don the same hair and broken expression to that of her counterpart, but she also donned the worn outfit version of the standard outfit used in her daily life.

The stream gave off another source of light aside from the fire behind her. She didn't need to turn her head to understand that the unrelenting dark ship had fired again. She cracked a defeated bitter laugh at the idea that it had pulled her like a puppet to this very location and wanted her to witness this image before her demise.

It was odd to feel the next sensation after death, even more, odd that she expected to feel her feet wet. However, what she felt next was the softness of pillows around her.

"Hey, she's waking up!" A voice helped guide Enterprise back from wherever she was. Her eyes opened to see Cleveland.

"Huh? What happened?" She tried to stand up from the bed, but a stinging pain resonated from the back of her neck.

"Try not to stand up too fast." Another voice sounded off, and it was the voice of Vestal. Enterprise looked toward the source of the sound and saw Vestal and Unicorn. They both walked closer to join Cleveland. "Unicorn here entered your room earlier and found you on the ground. She got horrified when she saw you spasming on the ground," said the medical ship.

"How long was I out?" Groaned the white-haired carrier.

"A fair number of hours, Ent. It's seven in the afternoon now," replied Cleveland.

"Is that so?" Responded Enterprise with confusion painted on her face. The last thing she remembered, she had been waking up to a later start to her day than she usually did, only to have the corners of her vision grow dark. The other thing she remembered was the back of her neck receiving a trauma that had no reason to be there. Another discomfort soon reared its head, as her cheek gave off a numbed feeling. "Ugh… was I in some sort of bar fight?" She joked half-seriously. To this day, she could say that she never had that experience, since everyone got along at the base and nearly everyone respected her to some extent that would never warrant a bare-knuckle fight like that.

Cleveland cracked a smile at the subtle joke that came out of her friend's mouth. "Ha, that would be a sight to see- of course, that's not your style at all. Long-range combat is more of your thing after all. Back to the topic at hand, the only conclusion we could come up with would be those girls from the Sakura Empire. I tried contacting them for the cause of this but, man… I knew they would goof up on taking care of that woman. And they haven't even responded to our earlier message, just like Hornet with her phone that's apparently on silent," said Cleveland with her arms crossed.

Vestal coughed to grab the attention of the blond, and when she did, she nudged her head toward Unicorn.

Cleveland sighed, knowing full well that they shouldn't be talking about things that related to Enterprise's counterpart, especially in front of one that would take the news hard.

"M-miss Enterprise, I… I brought you some pizza from the cafeteria. It's a little cold now after they closed. P-please enjoy, you need your strength after not eating all day."

While Cleveland and Vestal had no problems in procuring something warm from the now-closed kitchens or even anywhere else on the island base that served food, they preferred to have kept silent and let Unicorn's gesture take root.

Enterprise gazed at the cold pizza with an odd look that felt detached from what she had in her mind. Even her thoughts had shifted to a colder foreign mindset. She couldn't help the look of disgust she formed when she saw the cold slice. "I don't want your food," she said coldly with a turn of her head. As soon as she said those words, they replayed in her mind and the heaviest of torments filled her with self-loathing.

Unicorn looked like a piece of pristine paper that had been balled up and then stomped on. Her hands began to tremble, and her eyes poured out with tears. "I… I understand, Miss Enterprise. I should have listened to the others that the pizza was a bad idea." She placed the plate on the nightstand and bolted out of the patient's room without anyone being able to stop her in time.

Enterprise extended her uninjured hand toward the door, with so much regret for what her mouth had spewed.

"Ent, what the heck was that about?" Sternly spoke the blond.

"I… I didn't mean to say what I said. Her gesture was precious and heartwarming, but something inside my mind… or was it my heart? I couldn't transfer my thoughts out correctly- I need to go after her!" One toe out of the bed had proven to be fatal, as she felt her head grow fuzzy and her legs worn out.

"Ah! Take it easy, Enterprise. What you're feeling right now could be headrush from being asleep the whole day without anything to eat, that's not to say how much of an effect your main cause for passing out might have also added," said Vestal.

"R-right…" They gently put her back on the bed. Of course, while her dizziness had passed, she still held the scar of hurting Unicorn close to her chest.

The door opened and Belfast cautiously peaked her head in. "Pardon me, Vestal, was everything all right in here? I passed by Unicorn in the hallway with tears in her eyes." Belfast's cautious nature dissipated when she learned that Enterprise was wide awake. "Enterprise! How are you feeling?"

The white-haired woman had no energy to respond to her maid companion that would usually put a smile on her face.

The room grew silent with Vestal and Cleveland exchanging dire looks of woe.

"We'll just be out there if you need us for anything," said Vestal. She nudged for the blond to follow her to the exit but not before she whispered close to the maid's ear. "Make sure she gets something to eat, she'll listen more to you than she would for us on this matter."

Belfast gave her a hastily nod, confusion clearly plastered on her face. When they had left, she took a chair and sat close to the bed.

For a good minute, not one of them had said anything to break the silence in the air. Belfast glanced at the plate of pizza that caught her attention, and that was when Enterprise quickly snatched the plate from the nightstand. Frustration and anger had been felt behind her actions like a kid eating vegetables out of spite.

"Umm… Enterprise, I can get you something else much warmer. That slice looks rather cold," she wasn't nervous about the aura in the air that could suffocate the weakest of people, but she did choose to tread carefully as she didn't know the full details of what happened.

"Maybe this is how I like it," she venomously glared at the maid.

Belfast silently half gasped, with the other half successfully suppressed. There was no mistake, that glare was one found most on the other woman that shared the same face as the one in front of her. "Stop… that wasn't you."

"What?" Said the Eagle Union with an annoyed face.

Belfast smoothed her maid dress after she had lightly gripped it. "Don't speak like her. Don't speak with words meant to push others away," she sternly focused her gaze at Enterprise. Her gaze was one of conviction in the woman in front of her being better than her counterpart, yet she feared for more harsher words to come out that would deteriorate her stance.

Enterprise could see how defensive Belfast had gotten; a defensive act that had been created by her harsh words. The maid's sad, yet stern eyes were a perfect mirror that helped the injured woman take a deep and long look at herself. "Gah… you're right. Oh… this time I didn't even react to what I said until you brought it up." The pizza dropped back onto the plate, and she felt like eating her own heart out from guilt. It wasn't long after that when Enterprise laid it all out, like an open book on what happened with Unicorn to the maid.

"I see… that would explain why she had tears in her eyes when she ran past me," she said grimly.

"I know it in my heart that I'm not like that, to try and angrily push someone away must never be me."

"It isn't. You must make amends with Unicorn but now, you must eat to gather your strength. Tomorrow is a new day to start fresh."

Enterprise reluctantly agreed to put a pause on her sorrow until tomorrow. She could only hope that Unicorn wouldn't avoid her. She continued to eat the cold pizza, hoping that she could find comfort in receiving the gift of the purple-haired aircraft carrier.

The hours rolled by, and Belfast had stayed with her for the rest of the night to keep her company, as well as to make sure that she didn't suffer any more harmful accidents.

**(The Next Day- Hornet)**

The sun hadn't even risen yet when the blond twin-tailed carrier had her phone to her ear. She stood outside the door of the Takao-class sister's dorm. "Please, pick up- come on…" She had been aware of the phone calls that Vestal and Cleveland had assaulted her with the other day. The reason for her not picking up was one that even she had no underlining conclusion to. While they could have called to tell her that something horrible had happened to her sister, she knew that wasn't the case, since E-2 looked fine whenever they had made check-ups to the warehouse yesterday.

The wild-haired woman appeared to be silent and moody when they made their rounds and Takao, Atago, and Hornet called it a day, knowing that she wouldn't want to talk to them.

Ultimately, all her excuses didn't help to keep her worries at bay, which is why she wanted to directly call her sister to explain things.

The phone finally answered on the other line that made her perk up. "Ent! It's so good to hear from you."

The voice on the line was quiet but one could still make out what the white-haired sister was saying. "Hornet? You do have a habit of waking people up in the morning," tiredly responded Enterprise from the line.

"It's good to hear your voice. Cleveland and Vestal flooded my phone with missed messages, and I heard what happened to you. Are you all right?"

"For the most part. You don't sound that overly surprised about my sudden brief injuries."

"Umm… yeah, about that, it was because of her," nervously replied the younger sister.

"Hmm… I'm not surprised, what happened over there?"

"Oh man, where do I start?" Hornet spent the next ten minutes laying out all the facts that had transpired yesterday. Her sister stood silent and took in every word with the occasional sound of understanding. "… then she passed out on the spot when we got her to her bed," said Hornet.

"… a device that reads her very being, memories of a harsh battle at sea, and her frightful face when she emerged from that device… it's all so much to take in," said Enterprise. A feeling of pity wormed its way into her heart for her counterpart, mostly because of the sharp lengths that the Sakura Empire had gone in order to secure information that she had requested.

"D-do you think that the methods of the Sakura Empire were somewhat harsh?" Asked Hornet.

"In honesty, I expected for them to rough her up during their research into her. If that research brings pain, then I must endure it or face the grim fact that the death of one of us would spell the same for the other."

"Yeah… I get it. Don't you wish there were another way?"

"Hornet, she isn't me. That vindictive expression on her face when we locked gazes during her departure told me that she will never be reasoned with."

Hornet remained silent for a few seconds. While her sister made all the sense in the world, she couldn't find it in her heart to give up hope. To give up hope on E-2 would be like giving up hope on Enterprise, the sister she knew all her life. In her mind, they were one and the same, further reinforced by the sisterly-like presence from the cube projection. Also, she refused to ignore the first act of sisterly duty that she did when she blasted the Siren destroyer during the mirror sea incident.

"Hornet, are you still there?" Concern filled the blonde's ear from her older sister.

"I'm here, I guess, I'll keep you posted on what's going on here. I honestly don't know what's going to happen with the research going forward. She did look very fearful of the things she saw while she was knocked out."

"Just remember, Hornet, there's meaning to all this. I won't seek retribution from them merely doing what I requested of them. I'll also try to quell Vestal and Cleveland from making a big deal about this." They exchanged more small conversations until they both ended their call.

**(Enterprise)**

The white-haired carrier remained with an unfocused gaze even after she had ended her call with her sister. Unknown to her sister, Enterprise had a worry that was born from the details that were depicted from her counterpart's night terror. The detail that she focused on yet didn't express any emotion on was the giant outline of a warship that had fired a destructive blast at her counterpart. She made no mistake; those details of that enemy warship were in line with what occurred in the nightmare she had yesterday.

Her eyes landed toward the floor next to her bed where she found a suddenly stirring Belfast. Much to the approval from the Eagle Union, Belfast had refused to share the bed with her like last time. Of course, last time was brought upon by the maid on a spur of the moment decision, and she had decided not to repeat the events because of personal reasons.

"Belfast, I don't know what to say for keeping a watch over me during the night," she said with a fond smile on her face. A part of her felt bothered by many reasons for the maid sleeping on the floor, but there was one reason that confused her. Regardless, she decided on not dwelling too much on it.

The royal maid elegantly lifted herself off the sheet-covered floor with half-closed eyes. She restrained a yawn that, personally, looked bad for one to reveal to another.

A snicker past the Eagle Union's lips on how adamant the maid was to not show a disorderly side to her. "I can't do what you do. My yawns are like a lion's yawn when waking up in the mornings."

Belfast found herself fondly blushing. "Oh my, that is quite an image." She placed a hand on the side of the face to control the ensuing blush. "Ahem… be as that may, it makes me embarrassed to show such a-"

"Warm and defenseless side?" Plainly stated Enterprise with a playfully raised eyebrow.

"Something like that."

"I would definitely pay to see a deeper side of that," replied Enterprise.

The maid felt defenseless every time Enterprise would praise her with kind words. When that occurred, she felt no longer in control of her body's internal temperature and her strong confidence would shake its very foundation. This was the reason she knew that the Eagle Union was the one for her. Someone who deconstructed her and made her feel out of her element. Stuff like sharing a messy hash brown, potentially allowing her to yawn without fear of looking foolish, and overall feeling wild and daring in her presence. She could allow herself to be the part of her that she disciplined herself from ever showing to others, whenever she could be alone with the woman she loved.

**(Hornet)**

The blonde Eagle Union got lost in her mind with what to do going forward. She wanted to do something for E-2 after the dramatic events of yesterday but the more she thought about it, the more hopeless she felt. No matter how she spun it, any attempt to help her would jeopardize the life of her true sister. She turned away with disgust at how she worded that in her mind.

The front door swung open and Atago stared down at Hornet.

The blond Eagle Union swallowed nervously from the powerful gaze beamed her direction. The tension immediately dissolved when Atago shifted to a happy smile. "Oh good, I thought for a second you evaporated all suddenly. What were you doing outside in the hallway?"

"I… umm, called my sister. You know, after the intense events from yesterday."

"Ekk! How's she doing by the way? I hope that my tap on her neck didn't cause her too much pain."

"Nah, are you kidding me? My sister is a lot more durable than that."

"Good. That's good to hear. Well, come on out to the outside garden for our regularly scheduled breakfast."

Hornet found herself sitting near a low brown table where a beautiful garden resided.

Takao was already there, her knees folded on top of a fluffy pillow. "Hornet, we were worried about you for a second."

"I'll say. Normally, my dear sister is the one that is the early riser, but my jaw dropped when she told me that your bed was empty," said the perky heavy cruiser.

"Oh, be quiet, Atago. There's no need to make her flustered for being an early riser, after all. It won't kill you to take some initiative and pull those legs out of bed earlier."

"Pass, dear sis. I do need my beauty sleep if I want to maintain this joyful energy," she said with her cup raised toward her mouth.

"Hmph, you could lose some of that perky energy and it wouldn't hurt anyone if you asked me," replied Takao with a stern eye trained toward her sister.

Hornet glanced at the plate in front of her for the first time, eggs and bacon filled the plate perfectly with a cup of coffee to her side. "Huh? Am I going crazy or is this my kind of meal?" Without any more objections, she began to dig into her food.

"I figured a change of pace was recommended," said Takao proudly.

Her sister snorted a laugh at the statement. "That can't be all it, then why do we have a whole pan of eggs and bacon still on the stove?"

"Jeez, Atago… stop reading into things. If I must lay out my reasons, then they are nothing more than providing E-2 with a meal that she might enjoy."

Hornet stopped, mid-chew, to beam at the pony-tailed Sakura Empire. "That's a great idea. We can all go over there when we give her the food."

"Yes, I'm overjoyed that you think the same way," said the legging wearing swordswoman.

Atago grimaced. "Will that really be a good idea? If she didn't hate our guts before, then subjecting her to that torture device had to be the final nail in our coffins." She didn't sound overly serious or worried, and as childish as it might have been, she snickered at her own subtle joke.

"As much as that holds, we didn't intend to hurt her originally. She gave us no other options when she attacked us, and no one could have foreseen that damage that transpired because of the device," said Takao.

"So, what do you think? Are they going to be going through with more of those sessions?" Asked Hornet.

"Most likely. My hands are tied with this one as the medics didn't find any underlying illnesses due to the device. Plus, Nagato had already permitted to continue as long as she didn't suffer any major damage," said Takao.

"What the hell do they consider as major damage then? She was spasming like crazy, and her mind and heart looked like they were completely ready to call it quits," fired Hornet.

"I can assure you, that after going through the device's vital recordings, that her heart didn't reach a critical level of heartbeats. Her mind did have an explosion of activity that was probably caused by what she saw," said Takao.

"Are you sure?" Said Hornet.

"Yes, her spasming was most likely a result of her body sensing fear from long ago."

"Hmm, who can blame her? She puts on a strong face of indifference, but I would be terrified if I stared down that ominous dark ship," said Atago.

Hornet rested her elbow on the table with her hand on her chin. "Yeah… that ship. It had an alien presence to it that definitely shouted Siren related."

"That it did. As for the enemies that she faced before that… that's where I'm at a loss. There are no specific records of Sakura ships encountering a lone enemy with a level of carnage such as that," said Takao.

"Right, I counted about three burning carrier ships in the background, a half-dozen bodies floating in the water, and an uncomfortable number of detached rig parts floating all over the place. That's not even the definitive number as I'm sure I could see more but everything moved too fast. However, even after all that, the one last thing that is hard to understand is Zuikaku's presence in that image," said Atago.

"Has she said anything? We all saw someone that looked like Zuikaku get stabbed but that can't be," said Hornet.

"Atago filled me in on the details that Akagi sounded confident that what we were watching was a memory and beyond that, I don't know," said Takao. She could see how lost Hornet looked, and she could relate to the troubled expression. "How about we finish the rest of breakfast on a more positive note? After we deliver E-2 her morning meal, we can show you around our homeland, Hornet."

"Oh, that would sound lovely. You've been here for a few days now without a proper tour," said Atago.

"Eh, I'm fine with not sweating over that. I'm here to keep tabs on her, and make sure that she doesn't do anything that harms my sister in any way."

"Nonsense, you're going to have a proper tour and that would be that," replied Atago, in which her sister agreed with her.

Hornet puffed her cheek and reluctantly smiled at them. In the end, it couldn't hurt to get to know the place better.

**I had some trouble writing this chapter, so I decided on breaking it into two or three parts to push this first one out and have some more time to work on the other points of this chapter. For my readers that read these chapters, I would appreciate input on how the story is progressing. Are there any plot holes or things that I should clear up on? Is the story pacing well with enough mystery going on? Also, if there are any ideas or opinions that you all have feel free to let me know. **


	14. Foreign Emotion Part 2

**Chapter 14: Foreign Emotion Part 2**

Enterprise laid spread out on a bed, while Vestal had her focused attention toward her right arm.

Belfast remained silent in the corner to avoid herself from getting in her way.

The medical ship would occasionally make a sound here and there when she looked up and down the bandaged arm of the Eagle Union. Aside from that, neither Enterprise or Belfast could conclude if she looked happy or serious.

So far, Enterprise had undergone one surgery session that had restored a portion of her function in her arm. The most noticeable victory was that she was now able to move her fingertips slightly and move her arm around without the fear of tearing open healing wounds within her bandaged arm. The pain was still a factor in her recovery, but it was pain that would rear its head during unscheduled times rather than it being a perpetual pain. Luckily for her, sleeping aids were still granted to her to help her sleep during the night.

"Enterprise, your arm isn't getting any worse, so there's that to be grateful about," she said stoically and with eyes full of concern.

"Why does that sound like a bad thing?" Blinked the Eagle Union with confusion.

"I'm sorry, it's not a bad thing. I'm just too caught up in my own world, that's all. What I would really like to do now is begin our next session to restore more healthy tissue and nerves in this arm-"

"I'm sensing a but here," rudely spoke the carrier with lowered brows.

Belfast glared at Enterprise and that was enough for the carrier to understand how rude she sounded.

The Eagle Union sighed weakly and donned an apologetic look.

Vestal subsided the carrier's sadness with a smile. "I understand your feelings, Enterprise. However, it's too early to undergo another session. Your arm needs to naturally heal itself too, in conjunction with the treatment. If we don't allow that and purely try to heal it artificially, then you'll lose all feeling in that arm even though it would look fully recovered on the outside."

"Hmm… so much for modern medicine, huh?" She spoke dryly.

Vestal looked saddened by that response and walked toward her metal table that had her tools. "Miracles and medicine are often defined as two distinct things. However, with time, that line can blur depending on a person's perspective. An injury such as yours in the past would have been irreversible… much like your sister's legs…" she whispered softly to herself with a self-deprecating tone to her voice. "… medicine has come a long way from then that has allowed this option to be a thing. Of course, the goal post to what could be defined as a miracle is pushed further away. Maybe that's a good thing…"

"Huh?" Both Belfast and Enterprise looked stunned to what they heard and could not have made a response to whatever philosophical ramble the medical ship had spewed.

Vestal cracked a smile at their clueless faces and placed a hand on the carrier's shoulder. "Pay no mind to my words and understand that time is the greatest healer of all. If anything, I'll say about five days from now would be an adequate amount of natural time for your nerves and tissue to rebuild a healthy amount of itself before my treatment can work off that."

"F-five days?" Sadly spoke Enterprise.

"Yes, I'm afraid. Do make sure to eat plenty of protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C, and Omega-3 fatty acids, too. I'll compile a list of foods, so you won't forget," said Vestal with a warm smile.

Shortly after that, both shipgirls exited out of Vestal's exam room.

Enterprise struggled to put back the new coat that had been gifted to her by the others in Azur lane. This new black and red coat with gold detailing had been a wonderful gift to her when she left her room that morning.

"Here, allow me, Enterprise," softly spoke the maid.

The Eagle Union felt somewhat frustrated that she couldn't put her coat back on but chose to ignore that harsh voice in her head. "Thanks, Bel." The black coat could have been worn like earlier where her right arm was merely covered over the coat instead of sliding into the armhole, but Belfast could read the mind of the woman she loved and admired. For her, she wanted to wear it right.

A few grunts of discomfort later, and they managed to successfully fit her bandaged arm into the armhole of the coat.

"I hope you don't mind that I also wrapped the coat around your shoulders, now. While you and only you can pull off that exquisite look, I think you should refrain from the coat sliding further down, especially when fixing it would be another trial."

That earned her a kind laugh from the Eagle Union. "Yeah, you got a point there, shame."

The defeated expression on the carrier's face was not lost on the maid, who would have given anything to see her truly smile. Belfast walked with a timid and playful motion to her body language that made Enterprise stop her moody expression. The maid turned around to observe the stunned Eagle Union that didn't miss a beat at Belfast's actions. "You know, with your hat and your coat on, you look the same as you've always been. I think you looking like this will be a nice mood booster for all the others."

"You think so? Because it does feel right to be wearing this again, even though it's a replica of my original one."

"Oh, come now. The one wearing it is the original, and that's all that matters," smiled Belfast.

It took a good silent minute before they both realized that Belfast had unintentionally held onto the carrier's bandaged hand with hers at one point.

Belfast blushed and quickly changed up her hold on the woman. Instead, she hooked her arm with her companion's left arm. "Ahem, shall we take a walk outside?"

"Yeah," agreed the carrier with a happier smile than before. If anyone else had tried to cheer her up the way Belfast had done, it probably wouldn't have worked. No, only Belfast had this charming method of hers down to a science.

Outside and near the beachside, Enterprise had meaning behind her pace. Which was not lost on the maid, and she didn't have to think hard as to why she would be moving with so much purpose.

"Where do you think we should look for her?" Kindly said the maid that startled the carrier for a second.

"Am I that readable?" Spoke Enterprise with downcast eyes.

"Perhaps now you are, but only because you wear your heart on your sleeve, my dear," said the maid sweetly.

"You make it sound like a bad thing with that teasing expression on your face," lazily said the carrier, of course, there was some amused tone behind it.

"Hmph, I wouldn't want you to change at all, Enterprise. It's that kind of personality that can make Unicorn smile at you."

"I really don't know what came over me when I saw that cold pizza. It wasn't even about the pizza that was the main issue, and I guess it sent me over the edge," said the carrier with shame.

"What were you feeling at that moment?"

"Despair, anger, weakness, and… humiliation."

Belfast stopped walking and turned her head slightly at the Eagle Union that had also halted her steps. She could tell that the injured woman looked like a whole new level of loss within her mind. "That's… awfully heavy to be feeling after waking up from a mild concussion."

"Well, to tell you the truth…" She spent the next few minutes talking about the strange nightmare she had before waking up.

Belfast listened respectfully to every detail from the sea turning fiendishly black, to the shadow warship appearing, and to the part where she had been hunted down in that ravine. Enterprise didn't even leave out the part where she saw herself as her counterpart. "Oh, my dear." She threw all sound logic into the air and embraced the distraught Eagle Union.

Enterprise widened her eyes when she felt the warm embrace from the maid. For the first time, Enterprise smelled the scent of vanilla that delightfully assaulted her nostrils. This next part might have sounded childish from the Eagle Union, but the warm embrace felt like a warm electric blanket during a cold night. All that put together, the Eagle Union found herself resting her head on the crook of the maid's neck.

If anyone had witnessed this moment, they would have fainted from the drunken level of passion in the air.

The maid was the first to jolt away from the tender moment that left Enterprise like she had been thrown off a bed and had her metaphorical blanket ripped away, too. "Forgive me, I stepped out of line just now," she said the first excuse that popped into her head.

"Huh? You… didn't step out of line, Bel. Your comfort was needed… and…" It was the carrier woman's turn to blush as she couldn't force the rest of her words out. She felt confused with what she felt, and she couldn't say that she didn't enjoy the contact beyond a friendship level.

"Be as that may… things are moving faster than they should," softly spoke the maid. She appeared to guard herself against her feelings. Perhaps what she said meant more to her than it did to the woman before her.

"Going too fast…?" The injured woman had always been clueless to these intense and intimate moments, but if fate had allowed her to process and absorb all the context that laid between her foreign feelings and the maid's blushing face, then it would have all clicked. However, fate had other things that deemed important, as in the corner of the archer's eye, she spotted a head of purple hair that moved against a crowd. "She's over there!" She declared with a focused ambition to make amends with the purple-haired light carrier, that all other pressing matters dissolved away from her mind.

Belfast winced from pain, mostly born from a self-loathing because she had her chance to come clean about her feelings and failed to deliver. The only thing that stopped her was the fear of confessing it to her. The notion of stopping to process all that had happened would have to wait, as Unicorn took priority over anything else. And with a calmed breath, she steeled herself to tackle the issue that Enterprise needed help on.

**(E-2)**

It had been some time ago since Hornet, Atago, and Takao had brought a plate of bacon and eggs for her. And during that time, the plate remained untouched. The atmosphere had been dangerously silent that they all didn't stay around for long and considered their attempt to talk to the carrier to be a failure.

The wild-haired carrier took up doing some sit-ups and one arm push-ups that consumed the beginning part of her day. Sit-ups were a hit or miss with her because of the limiter rig that was wrapped around her torso. Regardless, a deadly and serious focus ruled over her, and she would ever so glance at the double metal doors.

The events with the Siren were still fresh in her mind, like the unknown coordinates that were burned into her mind. Even when she would rest her eyes, she would see those numbers floating in empty space, taunting her to go there.

She began to struggle with the one arm push-ups that she had no interest in counting, even more so that the rig added a noticeable amount of weight that kept her mind occupied. If her general memory served her right, she had done about twenty to thirty before she dropped onto the cold concrete floor, that was covered in her sweat.

"That's a mighty impressive number you accumulated."

A voice shocked her out of her thoughts, and she stood up quickly to engage the unknown intruder. Annoyance replaced her expression when she looked to see that the other voice was Takao. "You, how did you get in here? I didn't even hear the doors open," she sounded winded due to her workout, and that was another thing that annoyed her since she didn't want to show this side to anyone.

"Ah, my bad on interfering in your privacy. I know I shouldn't say this but there's a back door behind those broken pallets- it's locked with a security code if you're also wondering," she said nicely as she tried not to sound smug.

E-2 exhaled and shook her head. "Really? Then I take it you had a reason for taking the stealthy approach this time? Do you perhaps believe that I have some scheme hidden away?"

"You never know," she said plainly and charmingly. "Actually, I was aimlessly curious, if that makes sense-"

"It doesn't. So, did you find what you were expecting?" Sternly declared E-2 with her glare enhanced toward the Sakura Empire.

"You didn't touch your food?" Replied Takao when she noticed the plate, she worked on was still on the metal tray near the small slide-in door.

"Don't answer me with another question. I hate when people are evasive," said the injured carrier.

"Hmm… fair enough. Then yes. I did find what I was expecting," she said with a bright smile.

The injured carrier tore herself away from looking at the black-haired woman. "Tsss… whatever. Figures that I shouldn't expect an honest answer from anyone here. In the end, my hatred for you hasn't changed, Sakura Empire."

"I'm sorry…" she said tiredly as if she had been trying to find the right moment to spew those words.

"About what?" Demanded E-2.

"I don't think that there's been anyone that has said sorry to you after you underwent Akashi and Akagi's device. While we are focused on learning how to unlink you with Enterprise, it would seem that we caused you unimaginable torment in the process."

"Hmph, well… you all did keep your word about treating me like an animal with all that poking and prodding you all were so ready for," she said mockingly yet had a sense of distaste.

"Yeah, I only wish there were another way. We have to do what we have to do, just figured you deserved an apology at the least."

"Still hate you. But please, keep wasting your breath," she said angrily.

A reluctant sighed showed on the black-haired cruiser. "I'll take hatred. Better to have that than indifference. At least you have a passion for me that could have a chance of being a friendship one day. They do say that the opposite of love is indifference after all," she said proudly.

"Jeez, with that speech of yours, I can't tell which one is crazier- you or your sister."

Takao felt sour by that response. "I don't find it crazy to hold out hope that someone can change. Just like I don't find it crazy that you had claimed to see things nobody saw. Still, even after looking at video feed outside the warehouse and docks, I couldn't find anything unusual, but even with that, it's not my place to say that you didn't see anything."

"Forget about that… it was all a hallucination," she said flatly that made the other woman raise an eyebrow.

"Oh? Hmm, we can put a pin on it instead. As I said, there's just something about you that I can understand and sympathize with," she said softly.

Her words earned her a mocking laugh from E-2. "Wait… please don't delude yourself into thinking we're… what… kindred spirits? And that's when I completely shut any more words from your sorry mouth out of my ears." The carrier turned her back on the black-haired woman with her usual coldness apparent.

Takao bit her lip, knowing deep in her heart, that what she felt shouldn't be stomped on. "Before you do that! Now that you mentioned it… kindred spirits sound about right." Her eyes gave off a defenseless look to them, that now had a revelation that added more to her reasons for wanting to form a bond with the glaring woman.

"What do you and I possibly have in common? Answer me!"

Takao took a deep breath and responded with the words she had in her heart. "We are both ruled by warfare. I'm not talking about in the general sense that we partake in it against our wishes as all the others do. It's a ship's duty to stand against the forces that would seek to crush us. No… I'm talking about how we revel in the heat of combat that makes us feel alive. You and I are similar in the sense that we search for battle after battle to help us grow."

"You sound just like a Siren," she said bitterly.

"Your words truly hurt; however, I can understand that logic. I guess… my purpose in life is to constantly perfect myself into the weapon that I believe I can become. That is why I train and undergo commissions to fight the enemy whenever I get the chance. Are you not the same? I've sensed it when we first met, that battle-hardened look, that cold personality, and even by that fact that your hair continues to smell of unwashable sea salt. It's as if you never touched dried land before being attended over there in Azur Lane. I've also seen it firsthand when we peered into your memories. That sharpness forged in hellish warfare meant only for destruction is the boat we both share."

E-2 could not try and look uninterested from what she heard. She would be lying to herself if that was the case. "So, what… you wish to die in a glorious battle to the end with the enemy? That your life has no meaning other than to fight?" Her words had their own bite to them, and she wasn't tone-deaf. She could hear the hypocrisy in her own words that were by one whose only life-goal was to end the woman she hated the most in a battle that would claim both of them.

A sad expression appeared in Takao's face. "It seems that this conversation has grown into a therapeutic one. Yes, that's what my heart tells me- my very nature that I mask from the others encourages that, but my brain tells me that way of living is foolish."

"It is." What was she saying? The cold and ruthless phantom of the Eagle Union's strongest had a chip in her heart that had her thinking things she wouldn't have. A sympathetic urge in her heart that was foreign to her yet felt right at that moment.

Takao felt defenseless for she had laid out deep-seated fears and flaws within her that she never even told her energetic sister about. "Yeah, I agree. That is why there is meaning in wanting to help you out. For someone that is just like me, if I'm able to help them, then there's hope for me. Being friends is the first step, and I see that there is more behind this than just a fight. If I can help someone like you to turn their life around, then that means there's hope for my own salvation." Takao regained some of her joy from her conclusion that she ironed out through all her thoughts.

"So, I'm a side project for you?"

"Stop your cynical view of things! I feel pity for you because we are kindred spirits. A path like yours where the fighting never stops is one that I wish to avoid, even if it goes against my nature."

"Ugh, I don't really get all this philosophical talk you brought on. There is one thing you're wrong about, though. You're a champion."

"What?"

A sour expression descended upon her, as she remembered the words the Siren had told her. Her memory was still hazy from her past, but she could feel that those words carried truth. "You fight harder and more frequently than you should, and that makes you a champion. I… fought for survival. Fighting was all that granted me life in the past." Again, she had trouble verifying those facts with the only things she had going for her were those transient memories, and she was mostly mimicking the words from the Siren that spoke with her.

"What a baseless idea," came the furious grunts of the heavy cruiser.

"Huh?"

"Champion and survivor are one and the same. Or what? Are you quantifying both sides in terms of luxury? To be a champion, you must outlive all the other opponents before you. And the last time I checked; it was the Sirens that started this whole war in the first place. For them, this war is a luxury for their own perversions of the future they have in store for all of us. Anyone who doesn't pull their weight in this war is doing a disservice to their homeland. We are not given the choice to not fight."

E-2 took it all in. A sense of inspired amazement filled her to the brim that she had to respect the uplifting words from the black-haired woman. Of course, she denied herself from emoting it to the woman. Instead, she slid down toward the glass, and her body faced the other way from the white head-ribbon user.

She glanced at the plate that was a few feet from her and grabbed a piece of bacon. "It's cold," she said flatly after she began to chew.

Takao released her glare and scoffed playfully. She then mimicked the same position as the carrier and were now faced away from each with their backs pressed upon the glass. "That's because you waited all this time."

"What's… your name again?" She said with a small cough of embarrassment or maybe the cough was from the bacon.

Takao swallowed a small gasp and softly smiled to herself. "I-It's Takao, the first ship of the Takao-class heavy cruisers- but feel free to just use Takao."

"Takao… this bacon tastes like it was cooked with actual oil, and is it supposed to be all black?"

Takao comedically felt disrupted from the moment they were having by that untrue comment. "H-hey, isn't that taking it a little too far? Besides, you don't have to keep eating it," she said with a twitched eyebrow.

"Hmm…" responded E-2 before taking another quiet bite from the bacon.

Even though they didn't converse beyond that, this silence was one between two people that had gained a mutual respect for the other.

**(Enterprise)**

Back to Azur Lane, Enterprise had cut into an alleyway in the marketplace when she figured where the purple-haired royal navy was heading too.

Belfast was right behind her during this whole ordeal. "Enterprise, you shouldn't be exerting yourself like this."

"I don't care! Making things right with Unicorn is all that matters right now." She pushed her way out into the street that connected from the alleyway she came out from. Her frantic eyes searched every direction for a sign of the purple-haired girl. Her luck paid off when she spotted Unicorn turning the corner next to a building.

Enterprise pushed herself again, completely ignoring the random shipgirls that worriedly gave her looks. For them, they were concerned that she was undergoing a morning jog that she shouldn't be doing. More evident to their concerns was that she was holding her bandaged arm while she ran.

"Oh… everyone is looking my way." The maid felt flustered at the fact that she was being seen in a state of un-ladylike proportions. In fact, as shallow as it sounded, she asked herself why she entertained the notion to be seen in public running across the streets without any manners. She shut off that thought as it was obvious, it was all for Enterprise.

She turned the corner shortly after the Eagle Union had done the same. Her immediate action after that was to hit the brakes on her feet before she ran into Enterprise. "Enterprise?"

The Eagle Union carrier stood motionless with the sound of her exhausted breath being the only sound that the maid could hear.

Belfast pulled out a handkerchief from a hidden pocket somewhere on her white apron. She then cleaned her sweaty face with it and stood beside the Eagle Union. That was when she spotted what Enterprise had been so fixated on.

Off in the distance, the four friends that always seemed to be together were there with Unicorn at an ice cream shop. They were all standing together, conversing away without the notice that they were being watched.

Belfast hooked her arm with Enterprise when she noticed the carrier had mindlessly moved forward.

"No, no, no. First, wait for a second," demanded the maid that pulled her back.

"What are you doing? I told you that I need to talk to her," said the carrier with a pained face.

"Yes, I understand. Your guilt-ridden face is all the proof of that. But first, you must clean up yourself." The handkerchief was then folded a few times before it ran across the cheek, forehead, and chin of the carrier.

"B-Belfast…?" The white-haired carrier was lost for words. A humiliated feeling washed over her for being treated like a child in public. However, her heart started to race at the tender motions the maid used to clean her face. She then felt shame when her eyes lingered at the maid's lips, then eyes, and finally her breasts. Enterprise shut her eyes aggressively, knowing that her gaze was inappropriate. That didn't help in the end and she tried to interrogate herself mentally as to why she lingered there.

Whatever conclusion her mind would have given her was dissolved when Belfast held the carrier's head with her gloved hands.

They both stared at each other with a held silence until the maid started to speak. "You look a lot better now, Miss Enterprise. It's not proper for one to be so bedraggled when apologizing to another. Look at you, your hair is all over your eyes, too. If you wanted to be even more dramatic and spontaneous with your apology then rain would have been that extra notch," she said with a teasing smile that rendered Enterprise speechless.

It took a good swallow from the carrier to settle whatever emotions she had inside before Belfast's teasing comment. In fact, that comment had pretty much forced her to lose the meaning behind her emotions as if they were placed in a blender and set to mince. "Very funny. Rain's not in the forecast today but you think a hose might be a good substitution?" Said the carrier with a mock tone to her voice.

Belfast donned a sour face and laughed. "Come now, try to relax, so that you can apologize properly. That's all you really need in the end. There; more dignified and less crazed."

"Hmm, guess you have a good point. Unicorn gets rather spooked and shy easily. Ok… relaxed," she said with a frown.

"It's okay. Speak from the heart, and I'll be here for support," tenderly said the maid.

Enterprise friendly smiled at the maid. "Thanks- Oh, can I have my face back?" Their whole interaction had unfolded with Belfast's gloved hands never releasing their hold on the lovely face in front of her; even when she had stopped cleaning her face.

The light cruiser had red on her face, much like Enterprise, who looked not all that there.

The reason for Enterprise's blank state was that her mind had lost any metal capacity to process these interactions for the time being. It was as if her mind had fried itself or maybe it chose not to study these nice, yet confusing feelings for now. Perhaps, it decided on spending her cognitive thoughts on the definitive matter at hand rather than a foreign ambiguity.

The light cruiser watched her companion walked past her toward the five girls that were off in the distance. During this respite between events, she reflected with downcast eyes on the day that was still unfolding. She has had many tender moments with the woman of her affection, and yet she constantly swayed back and forth between friends and lovers.

Anyone could plainly tell that the tension that they emitted was one of silent love or that of foolish kids that didn't know how to express their feelings.

"Hey… that's close enough."

Belfast was pulled out of her thoughts of indecisiveness, and she spotted Laffey standing in front of Enterprise with her hands held high like a fighting stance.

A nervous sweatdrop appeared on the carrier's face in response.

Z23 joined Laffey, with her arms crossed, in her proclaimed defense to protect Unicorn from Enterprise. The other two destroyers, Ayanami and Javelin, merely stood back with Unicorn with a hesitant expression by the overall situation.

"What's all this about? Miss Laffey, is there a reason for you to be shouting so loudly and rudely take a stance against an ally?"

Laffey moved her tired or bored eyes toward the maid; her hands refused to move from their stance. "Right, being loud and rude isn't for an ally. But… shouting mean things to one also isn't for an ally." Her expression was stoic and definitive as she aimed those last words at the Eagle Union in front of her.

Shame painted the face of Enterprise and her eyes looked beyond the two destroyers in front of her. "Unicorn, I'm here to say that I'm sorry for my rude words."

Unicorn could see the genuine hurt in the carrier's eyes and forced herself away from the protective embrace of Javelin. "Miss Enterprise… there's no need for you to apologize. It was rude of me to hand you something old and cold as that." Her words were filled with inclined punishment onto herself that made everyone else narrow their eyes as such a complacent statement.

"Quatsch! Don't think for a second that you are the one at fault here, Unicorn," angrily said Z23.

"Unicorn… came to us in tears. While she sounded understanding of you… her hurtful story of what you said… didn't make us understand at all," declared an unmovable Laffey.

Enterprise lowered her head until her eyes were covered by her hat. "You have good friends with you Unicorn. They understand the ugly nature in which I responded to you. Even if you had a pizza that was cold and as hard as a brick of ice, it shouldn't have been a reason to coldly reject you that way. Your intentions were warm and friendly after all."

The purple-haired light carrier moved forward until she was next to Z23 and Laffey. "Miss Laffey, Miss Z23, may I please talk to her?"

Both the Eagle Union and Iron Blood destroyer looked hesitant to allow themselves to move but they did anyway since it was Unicorn's desire.

Unicorn nervously moved closer to the Eagle Union carrier, with one hand holding her other arm shyly.

Enterprise grew curious to see Unicorn's hands so empty when usually she would be holding onto her U-Chan, as she would describe her stuffed yet animated unicorn pet.

"Y-you look very tired, Miss Enterprise," said the light carrier in an attempt to make small talk.

"Do I? I guess I've had some rough days recently. When you found me on the ground in my room, well… that was just another rough day for me. I had a nightmare that's best to not talk about, and It left me… diminished. Please understand that my spontaneous anger wasn't because of you or that pizza but from my nightmare."

"Oh… Miss Enterprise. Are you sure that you don't want to talk about it? Sometimes when I'm scared, I hold onto U-Chan tightly, and all the scary things go away."

"Maybe I should find myself a 'U-Chan' of my own," said the carrier with a guarded smile.

"Anything can be a U-Chan, as long as it keeps the scary things away. You'll know you found your U-Chan when its hugs and warmth make you feel like nothing can hurt you."

"Warmth?" Curiously asked Enterprise.

As a side remark from the back, Ayanami leaned over to Javelin. "See? Even she finds that weird," she said to the purple-haired destroyer that could only agree.

Unicorn grew shy to that question as she never fully detailed the nature of her U-Chan aside from her stating it's a plushie. "Of course, U-Chan is soft and squishy after all," she said cryptically.

"Soft, warm, and squishy…" Taking all those attributes into account, her mind shifted to not a mere toy but to the image of one Royal Navy maid that fit all those things.

"Miss Enterprise! I think you should sit down right away! Your face is burning up!" Yelled Unicorn.

About half an hour had elapsed since then and Enterprise, along with Belfast were sitting at a table, as they waited for the others to come back from inside the shop.

"You look a lot better now, my dear. I shouldn't be surprised after you exerted yourself with all that running," said Belfast.

The 'heat flash' that all the other girls thought that Enterprise had, vanished once she was sat down underneath an umbrella table connected to the ice cream shop.

Enterprise felt confused about the emotions swirling inside her, but she knew enough that her heated face wasn't a result of running hard out in the sun. She glanced at the smiling maid and somehow, Unicorn's U-Chan example had shifted her perception of the maid, perhaps irreversibly. Not for the worse, one might add but a whole new light indeed. All she needed now was to make sense of this heart-thumping emotion that could drown her if she didn't control it.

A light pain began to surge in her bandaged arm that pulled her away from her thoughts.

A waffle cone then appeared before her with the one holding it to be Unicorn. "Here, this should help, Miss Enterprise," said the light carrier. She held in her hands a delicious waffle cone with cookie dough as its topping, such as her own that she held in the other.

Laffey, Javelin, Z23, and Ayanami joined them underneath the umbrella stand. They respectively had their own flavors with Laffey having cookies N' cream, Javelin having mint chocolate, Z23 having chocolate, and Ayanami having strawberry.

"Here you go, Belfast," said Javelin, who handed the maid a cherry-flavored waffle cone. "Oh my… if you insist. So thoughtful of you, Miss Javelin," politely said the maid.

Enterprise looked at the cone and accepted it without any thought in her mind. "Thank you."

"I hope that you like it, Miss Enterprise," said Unicorn with a nervous blush.

The carrier had her first lick and her eyes widened. "Hmm… it's quite good. Now that I think about it, I don't think I have a favorite flavor usually. Maybe chocolate but I'm sure I'm speaking from popular vote."

"Pfft, I can agree that chocolate is the superior flavor, only if it's chocolate from the Iron Blood like this one in my hand," said Z23 with a boastful smirk on her face.

Laffey silently nodded at the provocative claim. "I agree. It's nice that Iron Blood… brought their chocolate into Azur Lane after… rejoining with us."

"Precisely," happily said Z23.

"Hmm, strange, they never bothered to provide quality goods like this in the past," stated Enterprise.

"Yeah… I can agree that that is pretty scummy. But this shows how serious we are all this time around," said Z23.

"This time around? I hope you all don't have ideas about going back on our reunion if things get messy with the Sirens," said Belfast.

Z23 remained silent for a second with the only interest being her ice cream. Her violet-colored eyes stared back at Belfast with clarity. "I can't speak for everyone under the flag of the Iron Blood, but Prinz Eugen and I are committed to making this work. And that goes for others that I work with, Miss Belfast."

"Hey, come on, that's enough. Let's not create issues where there aren't any. Iron Blood has always been one to hide their hand in the past, but this is now. Where are all in the same line of understanding after the events with the Orochi."

"Indeed, Enterprise. I'm happy that you can understand us and forgive our past actions. Times have indeed changed, and while hiding our hand has been a bad habit of ours, we are making changes," said Z23 with a sincere frown on her face.

"Right… one card at a time," calmly said Enterprise with a positive gesture with her waffle cone to the Iron Blood destroyer.

Z23 was shocked for a second, and then she smiled back at the carrier when she sensed no sly or malicious tone behind her comment.

After that, everyone spent the next minute enjoying their ice cream. Laughter filled the air and the ones who looked more overjoyed were Enterprise and Unicorn.

Enterprise then silently signaled Unicorn to hold her waffle cone. When her hand had been freed, she patted the head of the light carrier that made the small Royal Navy blush. "Your pizza was actually good," said the injured carrier.

"Huh? So, you really did enjoy it?" Happily stated the light carrier.

"Yep. Funny enough, did you know that if you fully committed to getting it cold by putting it in the fridge, it tastes arguably better than hot pizza?"

"It does?!" Cried Unicorn with wonder in her eyes.

Enterprise laughed at the child-like expression on the light carrier. "Absolutely. It's just like fried chicken in that regard. A few that I know prefer both cold."

"Yikes! Cold fried chicken and pizza? That wouldn't work with shrimp tempura since the texture would feel like wet tissue paper," said Ayanami with a frown at the image.

"Chips or fries, like how the Eagle Union would put it would be rather cardboard-like in texture if they were to get cold. Very unsatisfying," said Belfast.

"Not pizza or fried chicken. Pizza can hold its own for hours without getting soggy, and all the flavors fuse to create something worth a try. Even fried chicken gets better with the skin binding itself with the meat and keeping it crisp while the inside gets enhanced in flavor. But please, I'm no food expert, so I probably didn't do their description justice," said Enterprise.

"How wonderful. Could I possibly try both?" Asked Unicorn.

"Um… well… I don't see why not," said Enterprise.

"I can't wait. What about you, Miss Belfast?"

"M-me? Well, I haven't personally tried cold pizza or cold fried chicken- it's more of an Eagle Union thing if I remember correctly," said the maid while she looked away.

"I'll give it a try," said Ayanami.

"Same here. Call me curious," said Z23.

"Me too," joyfully said Javelin.

"Sure…" said Laffey.

Enterprise found some joy in watching the maid struggle in talking herself out of this situation, however, watching Unicorn looking happy was enough to get the dignified maid to fold.

"Sigh, I find my arm being twisted here. Fine, but I'm a firm believer that the best foods are always served hot and fresh, as it should properly be," said the maid.

"There are exceptions to all rules," said Enterprise with a smile that warmed the maid from head to toe.

Belfast then proceeded in licking her ice cream to settle her blushing and annoyed face. "Unicorn and Javelin, let's keep this from the ears of the others- preferably, and including Illustrious and Wales."

A small chuckle came out of the Eagle Union carrier. "I can see the shame you paint the situation in. I guarantee one try will make you reevaluate your stance on such an odd idea."

When they were almost finished with their waffle cones, Unicorn's plushie animal jumped onto the table from out of nowhere.

"U-Chan! Where have you been?!"

The small Unicorn plushie looked lively and ran around the table before pointing its horn toward the injured Eagle Union.

"What's it doing?" Asked Enterprise with nervous tones in her voice.

Unicorn observed U-Chan's action with understanding like it was a language that she knew. "U-Chan wants to show you something- something very urgent?!"

The body language of the small plushie conveyed that truth. The Unicorn plushie then launched itself headfirst toward Enterprise. Its horn pierced itself between the slight gap between the carrier's hat and white hair.

"Ah! I'm so sorry about that!" Cried Unicorn as U-Chan thrust its horn upward and stole Enterprise's hat. Another hilarious thing to note was that it launched itself away from the carrier by using her face.

"Hat thief!" Shouted Laffey.

Enterprise quickly stood up after her hat had been snatched unexpectedly from her very head. "Hey, bring that back." She was the first one to run out from underneath the umbrella. The chase didn't last long as U-Chan had stopped in the middle of the street. It turned around to see a frantic Enterprise coming toward it.

"What's the idea of taking my hat?" She demanded.

U-Chan wiggled its horn with the hat still dangled firmly on the edge like a coat rack. Its body language visibly expressed for the white-haired carrier to observe where it was pointing.

Enterprise speechlessly followed the direction where it was pointing. Her eyes landed on a building off in the distance. At first, she didn't see anything stand out, but at the height of the peak of the building, there stood an antenna, and on that antenna, a dark winged-beast loomed.

Everything melted away from Enterprise's perception until only she and that far off speck resided. A heavy breath pushed down on her lungs, and a sinking feeling of despair washed over her. This feeling was like that of seeing a friend go down a dark path.

The winged-beast appeared unfazed by the fact that it had been caught by the Eagle Union. Even though it was far off, the carrier could deduce that it could see her looking back at it.

"Enterprise!"

The carrier turned her head to see Belfast coming her way.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

Enterprise didn't respond right away and looked back at the direction that the dark winged-beast had resided. There was no evidence that it had been there except for the witnesses that were the carrier and one animated plushie. "Y-yeah, everything's okay…" She crouched down to retrieve her hat from the horn of U-Chan, who looked saddened at the fact that the mysterious creature had vanished. "Thanks for snatching my hat," gently spoke the carrier to the plushie.

U-Chan happily nodded for at least that victory.

**I'm shocked at how much I had originally planned to put in this chapter. I figured that it would be a decent size but when it runs away from you, then it starts to add on. To keep with the idea of what I had, there will be a part three to this one. I did consider making the next one into its own chapter but decided not to. Thanks for reading and I'll see you all in the next one. Also, thanks for all the kind reviews that you all expressed about the story. **


	15. Foreign Emotion Part 3

**Chapter 15: Foreign Emotion Part 3**

**(Hornet)**

A warm cloudless day descended upon the land of the rising sun. The Sakura Empire's streets were buzzing with resident shipgirls doing their daily routine.

It was still early in the morning, so there was no end in sight for the streets to be vacant. One would think that the early time would be perfect in terms of not having many people, however, much like the statement of the rising sun, they started their day just as the sun rises.

That proved to be a hindrance to Hornet as she bumped carelessly with random Sakura Empire residents. "Oof… sorry about that, lady," she said when she continued to collide with others to no fault of her own because of the busy time.

Her eyes warily looked forward, seeing Atago moving throughout the crowd with an effortless motion to her steps.

"Feel free to get a little aggressive back there. These streets can eat you whole if you don't push back," she said with a cheery voice.

"Really? You seem more or less okay with this chaos. Ugh… is it always this claustrophobic around here?"

Atago merely laughed and politely turned her head to acknowledge the Eagle Union. "All the time."

They reached a junction point where high-valued stores connected to form a crossroads of sorts. Atago had shown her a bench to their left that was Hornet's saving grace.

"Sigh… jeez, this place is a deathtrap. Good luck trying to walk against the crowd here—I do not recommend it," said Hornet while she realigned herself to the situation in the comfort of the bench.

"Oh, I somehow feel like this is my fault," said Atago with a frown.

"Huh? Well, kinda—if you want to add in that this was your idea to show me around the Sakura Empire."

Atago's furry ears angrily stood up from that statement. "No! I don't mean that being my fault. What I meant is that I foolishly allowed Takao to lose us after we left that warehouse and just before coming here. Ugh, she always does this. If she were here, then her presence alone would make some of these girls move out of our way."

"Are you saying that they don't move for you?" Said Hornet.

"Now why would they? I can freely move through any busy street of my choice without imposing my aura on the others. Takao, sadly, has this image where everyone sees her as a serious person with a lot on her plate. So, when they see her walking, they tend to move out of her way."

"Oh… sounds convenient for her, but I can understand why that might make her feel alienated from the others," said the twin-tailed Eagle Union.

"Hmm… she never talks about that being a problem. Oh well. Her departure won't make this tour any less amazing!" Atago shouted happily.

"All right then, tour guide. Where to?" Sarcastically said Hornet.

Atago gave the Eagle Union a sly smile and pulled out a folded piece of paper from her left wrist cuff. "I'm always prepared for a fun time. Here, we have all the hot locations scattered throughout the Sakura Em—!" Her words were silenced when she spotted a sign taped to a window that read, 'Limited time only! 75% off on all in-house sugary treats!'

Her chest started to palpitate, and her eyes widened with a terrifying scenario playing in her mind. "Ah! That's where I buy my chocolates! Are they insane!? To have a deal that amazing will render their supply depleted for the rest of the week!"

"Hey, a flash sale. Talk about neat. We get some of those on base when goods are nearing their expiration date. That might be the case here, but wow… the whole store?" Said Hornet with a hand to her chin.

"How utterly shameless!" Angrily said Atago with her teeth showing. "Kya!" Her shocked cries soon intensified when she spotted more shipgirls funneling into the store when they also noticed the sign. "Hate to do this, Hornet—but I must get in there before they are all gone!"

Hornet flinched when Atago had left an after-image in her wake. "W-what?! At least take me with you! I could use something sweet." Hornet tried to advance toward the store, however, more shipgirls crowded the perimeter of the store.

The only reason that Atago could have made it inside was because of her unwavering dedication to her chocolates, and her ability to gracefully move against the people.

Hornet didn't know how long she had waited for the black-haired cruiser to reemerge. The candy shop in front of her hadn't quelled the mass amounts of shipgirls that were pouring into their business, and that caused Hornet to impatiently tap her hat. She then reached the point of exhaustion, grabbing a random marker from a nearby outside tea shop table, and a flyer on the ground.

A minute later, the back part of the flyer rested on the bench that she had used earlier with a note on it. "Decided to wing-it on that tour guide offer. Hope you got your candy affairs sorted out—Hornet."

She wasn't mad, maybe irritated, but she saw this as a good thing since she didn't have the heart for a sightseeing tour. What bothered her more was the fact that she inadvertently went against the crowd, in the hopes of reaching the living space of the Takao-class ships. Space was tight, and she found herself bumping into more shipgirls. To add to her misery, a lot of them were giving her odd looks when they passed her. It didn't take that much thought process to understand that it was two things that made her stand out like a sore thumb—the fact that she was an Eagle Union among all Sakura Empire, and the choice of outfit that she wore.

The Eagle Union opinion was probably more tamed considering that they were all allies now, and some Eagle Union had already been adventurous enough to make a trip to the land of the rising sun.

She played it cool and grinned whenever someone would give her an odd glance. In the end, she didn't mind what they thought. Her outfit was her own and no one could make her feel anything to go against that.

The grinning Eagle Union soon found her world turned upward when she smashed violently with someone else. It was her fault since she had her eyes closed while grinning to others. Whoever she had hit, she could sense that they had a bag of ingredients without opening her eyes. Even worse, she had also heard the bag fall to the ground shortly after.

"Ah! Watch where you're going you—!"

Hornet weakly smiled, her eyes still closed, when she landed on her bottom on the hard ground. "Ouch… hey, that's on me, sorry for the interception on my part." Her eyes opened and the first thing she saw, was a bottle of tempura dipping sauce near her feet. "Hey, neat…" she commented on the bottle.

"Give me that!" The bottle was then snatched away from Hornet's hand. "Huh? What are you doing all the way out here?!"

The voice was familiar. Hornet finally moved her eyes toward the woman she had collided with for the first time. "Shoukaku!? Oh shoot, my bad—here, let me help you." Many items had fallen out of the brown bag that the Sakura Empire carrier had. Hornet being spontaneously nosey, proceeded to name all the things she picked up. "Flour, pepper, cornstarch, baking powder, and… shrimp?"

"I don't need the commentary, thank you very much," said Shoukaku as she grabbed all the things that Hornet had given her. She stayed on the ground while she fixed all the contents in her bag. "Phew, the eggs didn't crack. You live to see another day, young Eagle Union," said Shoukaku with a stern look from her blue eyes.

"Young? I mean, you're not that older than me, Shou," replied Hornet with a funny grin.

Shoukaku sucked in air, as she swallowed down malicious words she had in her mind when she heard her nickname come from the mouth of the twin-tailed Eagle Union. "Ugh… I'm too busy for this," she concluded. With all her things back in her bag, she got up from the ground and stared at Hornet. "You didn't answer my question. What compelled you to venture to the busy streets of the Sakura Empire?"

"Oh, that…" Hornet then explained her adventure with Atago, leaving out no detail.

"Pfft—haha! And that's why you should learn not to expect anything from the higher-ups," she said with an amusing smile.

Hornet made a face, that was one that emulated indifference to her earlier situation. "I guess. I love chocolate as much as the next person, but she did leave me high and dry like that. Say, what are you making, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Why should I tell you?" Asked Shoukaku with a schoolyard-like pout infused with her words.

"I guess you got me there—hey! I did answer your question, so come on."

The white-haired carrier softened her eyes and sighed. "Fair enough. It's nothing grand to concern yourself with, as I merely bought ingredients to make Zuikaku some shrimp tempura. And don't tell her that if you see her."

"Got it. That's a very nice thing that you're doing for her," said Hornet as they began to walk back to Shoukaku's living area.

A bothered expression appeared on the crane sister's face. "She's my precious sister, which is something you can understand. I figured that she deserves a meal that will fill even her soul from all this drama lately."

Hornet was taken aback by how small the crane sister sounded. "There's more to this, isn't there?"

Shoukaku halted her pace and stared defensively at Hornet. "Why would you say that?"

"Hmm… I can just tell. If I were making a meal for my sister, then my mood would be brighter than the sun. But… you don't look radiant about it," replied Hornet.

"Sigh, I'm trusting you to not run your mouth about this, okay?" Dangerously said Shoukaku with eyes that made Hornet quake from her knees.

"Hey, who am I going to tell in this place? But—got it!" Smiled the blonde carrier.

"Zui had a horrible nightmare last night. She tossed and turned in her sleep as she shouted vicious insults at someone. When I shook her out of it, she looked pale and covered in sweat. There was a period after she awoke, that she was out of it. She muttered, 'I'm not strong enough,' several times before she made sense of her surroundings," said Shoukaku.

Hornet adverted her eyes from the crane sister, as she wasn't surprised to hear that. "She didn't mention anything about the incident with E-2 yesterday, right?"

"S-she told me a lot of things about what happened. Like how that woman freaked out while she was knocked out because of some nightmarish flashback battle. C-could you tell me what was so freaky about the battle?"

Before Hornet could go further, she casually picked her words carefully, trying to find out what else the other carrier knew. Her smooth choice of words rewarded her with the knowledge that Shoukaku had been informed about everything that happened, except the battle in its detail, which also intitled Zuikaku's death.

The pause in the air infuriated the crane sister. "What gives? You suddenly stopped talking after I gave you my last response. Was it that bad? —oh, I knew I should have been there. Ugh, to think that the situation was handled enough for me to go about my daily tasks was so shortsighted of me!"

"H-hey, sorry for keeping you in suspense. I just didn't know what to say. The truth is, something did happen during E-2's observation, but it's not my place to say. What happened hit Zui on an emotional level that is best you hear it from her."

Shoukaku pouted excessively by that response. "That's not fair! I worry about her, but she doesn't ever want to talk about it, even if I insist." The memory of the time she saw her sister punch the wall in the Azur Lane medical wing entered her mind. Even then, her sister refused to open up to her about her inner turmoil. And that was only one of the times, as more incidents where her sister looked bothered, yet didn't confide in her gathered in her mind.

"Hmm… I can relate. My sister became very reserved when our eldest sister passed away. She silently berated herself, thinking that it was her fault that she couldn't do anything about how events unfolded. All she did afterward, was hold herself in her room, eat pre-cooked meals, and only going outside to maintain her assignments. In fact, she started to undertake more of them. Looking back, I should have done more than what I did. I should have taken a page from Belfast and never left her sight until she could get over whatever hardships she was dealing with. I'm pretty thankful for Belfast for doing what I should have done." Her words echoed back toward her, and an image of E-2 flashed in her mind.

"That… sounds troubling. At least your sister's spirits seem more uplifted. And I'm sorry about your oldest sister—"

"—stop, there's nothing to say on that front. I've made my peace with what happened, and I know that she was the kind of person to let grudges go if it meant a brighter future for all. Dealing with a Siren war is already bad enough, but I think we needed to knock each other around a bit before we all could realize the bigger picture without any more reservations."

"Hornet… you appear a lot wiser than I initially thought. I guess I'm the fool. Still, I'm having a hard time understanding," said Shoukaku.

"—butter her up. Force her to confide her problems to you. And I think you already have the perfect butter—or should I say batter?" Hornet gave the other carrier a trademark smirk, while she pointed to the brown bag.

Shoukaku softly chuckled at the Eagle Union's joke. "Of course, Zui folds whenever I make her my tempura. The answer was always in front of me."

"That's good to hear," said Hornet. She wished that she could say the same about the main issue she faced with E-2.

Their walk to Shoukaku's living area was filled with aimless conversation, just so that it wouldn't be awkward. However, after dropping off Shoukaku's supplies, the air between them grew awkward. "Ahem… I do have some time to waste before I get to making the food. How about it? Are you interested in a more reliable guide around our homeland, rather than one who leaves you behind?"

Hornet smirked, feeling relaxed around Shoukaku. While she had no immediate interest in scouting the unique places of the Sakura Empire, she felt like she didn't want to refuse the woman in front of her.

The Eagle Union didn't know what had her mood so high. During their tour around the Sakura Empire, she found herself enjoying all the sights that they had to offer. From the shops with their wide array of items to breathtaking landmarks that were always accompanied by cherry blossom trees around them.

The end of their tour landed them gazing at a small river channel with a red bridge to the right of them that went across the body of water.

Hornet had her arms folded and whistled randomly. "Gotta admit, I think this place is my favorite. It's so peaceful."

"Eh, you live here for enough time and the romance kinda goes away," flatly said the white-haired carrier.

"Romance!?" Said Hornet, completely caught off guard.

Shoukaku suspiciously turned her head, confusion shown all over her face. "Yeah… I'm talking about the beauty of the area around us," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh… haha. That makes a lot more sense." Even though the Eagle Union had laughed to kill the tension in the air, it proved useless as the other carrier remained silent. "So… what do you think about our captive doppelganger?" She said, applying the only question that came to mind.

Shoukaku looked bothered by the question, yet anything was better than the oddly awkward tension that encroached around them for no reason. "My thoughts are nothing earth-shattering. I do find her to be unique and very dangerous. Why?"

"Well… I don't think she's a threat like the Sirens. I want to believe that she's confused and can be reasoned with," replied Hornet.

"Oh, Hornet. That logic of yours is weird and absurdly dangerous. Fate will make you decide sooner or later with who your heart tells you to stand with. I get that she shares the face of your sister, but I don't see a future where both of them can co-exist. That doppelganger is dangerous as she shares all the tactics, skills, and weaponry of your sister, one who is renowned in strength. A rampaging Enterprise is already a scary thought, pardon my rudeness if any of that offended you."

"Yeah… you and my sister think alike." A depression ensnared her heart. She desired nothing more than to extinguish all wicked negative notions from her heart. However, she felt like everyone around her couldn't share her feelings of wanting to save E-2. In the end, she felt Shoukaku's words to be the decisive blow for her. She wanted to protect her sister, her true sister.

Even though their sightseeing had ended on a gloomy chat, Hornet respected the straightforwardness and honesty of the Sakura Empire carrier.

Their tour had ended with Shoukaku politely excusing herself to begin the meal she had planned for her sister.

It was afternoon now, and the sun was descending gradually, and she felt like her purpose of direction had lost itself somewhere down the line. Maybe it was the despondent mood at the end that made her grimly conclude the unavoidable reality to her predicament. That she couldn't save someone that wasn't looking for it. Her last shred of hope that she held in her heart brought her back to the dock where the warehouse resided.

Her eyes stared at the metal doors that housed her sister's doppelganger to the point that she was surprised that she didn't burn holes into the metal. Without thinking, her hand reached out.

"Hey… don't waste your breath on that phony."

"Huh?!" Hornet wildly turned her head left and right when she heard someone else's voice.

"Up here, Hornet." From the warehouse that was across the one that E-2 resided, Zuikaku laid with her back against the diagonal roof. She had her katana that she flicked out of its sheath repeatedly with an impulsive impatience.

"Zui! What are you doing up there?"

"Standing guard. What else?" She said flatly. Her actions felt suppressed along with her true emotions that said a lot more than her words had revealed.

"I see… wouldn't it be better if you were inside?"

Zuikaku darted her eyes away from Hornet's gaze. "Sure, but at the risk of wanting to punch her in the face, I'll keep guard out here." There was a lack of confidence behind her words that sounded more like a kid trying to act tough in front of someone else.

"Listen, Zui… about what happened yesterday…"

"No! There's nothing that I want to get off my chest or confide in. Pfft, so what if there was a version of me that was fighting her—should I even call it that? Those moves were amateurish if you asked me," she said with a harshness that stemmed from within her turmoil-ridden heart.

"Is that what you feel? That the version of you wasn't strong enough?"

A red blush flashed across Zuikaku's face like lightning. "O-of course. If it was me there, then I'll do it better. I can do better! I… I… just need to—I will be better!" Zuikaku's gaze was aimless. It looked like she was locking eyes with the Eagle Union, but her gaze laid somewhere far off. The grip on her katana sheath trembled from her shaky hand.

Hornet could see it all. In front of her was a woman who donned the guise of someone unmoved by the horrific projections she saw, but it wasn't that way when looked passed her bravado. Passed it, was a woman already dead on her feet from fighting with herself, for she knew how she would fare in a battle with the shadow of the woman she admired. "Why don't you go back with your sister. Earlier, she told me that she was looking for you, and it would be rude to keep her waiting."

Zuikaku sighed as she had reached a mental wall with herself. "Sister… she must be worried about me. We haven't seen each other all day except in the morning. What about you? Are you going to stay and keep watch?"

Hornet turned her head to look behind her to the door that led to E-2. "I don't know, probably not," she said defeatedly.

"I don't blame you. The sooner we can find a way to unlink Enty from her the better," bitterly spoke Zuikaku. She grabbed the side of a storm drainpipe and slid down to the ground. "Please don't worry about me, Hornet," she said with the most truthful smile she could muster.

Hornet could only hope that Shoukaku would be able to get through to her sister. She looked behind her with a final regretful expression and walked out of the area.

**(Zuikaku)**

It had been about half an hour later, making it nighttime, when Zuikaku had entered the home area that she and her sister shared. Upon entering the homey environment, the delightful smell of seafood assaulted her nostrils. Her stomach then growled in response to the smell. "Shou! Are you cooking what I think you're cooking?!"

Shoukaku, who was in the kitchen with ingredients spread all over the place, like a mad scientist's work lab, turned her gaze to her sister. "Indeed! So you better have amassed an appetite," declared the white-haired crane sister.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll gladly eat twice as much even if I was stuffed from earlier meals. Say, what's the occasion? Usually, you make me work for this?" Said Zuikaku.

Her sister gave her a bashful smile, thinking of all the funny conditions she made her sister undergo, from cleaning the bathroom to giving a marvelous performance effort during navel fights and exercises. "S-sometimes you don't need a reason. Is it too much to ask that we reconnect with each other as sisters? I feel that we've been pushed apart," she said with a sad yet honest smile.

"Shou…?" Zuikaku's heart painfully diminished, like the sting that she had felt when E-2 had shot her katana out of her hand coupled with the fact that, at the time, she thought E-2 was Enterprise, and something sinister had taken over her. "Is this how you feel? Then I really am a horrible sister for failing to take in your feelings."

"Don't stand there and beat yourself up. This act alone that you feel horrible after realizing it makes you a good sister in my book," kindly replied Shoukaku.

"R-right…" said an ashamed Zuikaku.

All the dirty dishes were piled into the sink, and the kitchen had been cleaned up. The only dishware that remained was on the table that the crane sisters were using for their meal. They both sat on pillows and stationed themselves from across each other.

Zuikaku looked to her left, a pot of freshly cooked rice resided. She then looked slightly to the right to see a bowl of broccoli with the distinct smell of soy sauce. Her eyes then observed to the far right, where the dipping sauce and a plate with napkins on it, housed a massive pile of shrimp tempura just begging to be eaten. "Ahh… t-this is so much more than you regularly make, Shou!"

"I might have gotten carried away. Oh well, make sure you clean your plate and prepare yourself for repeated portions," instructed Shoukaku, the ability to allow refusal clearly absent from her mind.

Zuikaku grinned at her sister that was the widest and brightest that Shoukaku had seen in a while. That alone, made the whole dinner worth it.

Laughter associated with miscellaneous topics filled the room. On one end, the brown-haired carrier surged with joy, while she countlessly chomped away at the delicious shrimp tempura. And on the other end, the white-haired carrier absorbed the wonderful and magical time created from her hard work.

Time rolled on, and the large plate that housed the shrimp tempura only had one left.

"Ah…. So full…" weakly cried Zuikaku. Her head had hit the table, perfectly outlining her fullness.

Her sister had taken it easy on the shrimp tempura and had filled her stomach with the rice and broccoli. "There's one more left, Zui."

"Ugh… you can have it, sister. Any more and I think I might turn into shrimp tempura myself," she said with a dizzy expression.

The white-haired carrier accepted the last one without any words.

"Wow, this was such a good meal. Now all that's left is to turn in for the night," replied Zuikaku.

"You should wait a bit for your food to digest," insisted Shoukaku.

"Yeah, you do have a point." Zuikaku stretched and yawned loudly.

Seeing her sister nearly wiped out made the white-haired carrier courageous for the burning questions that she had. "Would you like some more tea?" She asked.

"Yes, yes… ah…. Thank you," happily spoke the brown-haired carrier. She lifted it to her lips and hummed while she sipped it.

"Say… Zui. I ran into Hornet today, and we got to talking."

The laidback aura that the dinner had created, rapidly vanished as Zuikaku looked at her sister with cautious eyes. "You did? Hmm… what did she say?" She asked with worry shown on her face.

"Nothing much… however, her absent response to a question I told her was all I needed to let me know that there was more that you didn't tell me. At the risk of souring this moment, I ask you… was there anything else that you didn't tell me?" She said with an unwavering look toward her sister.

That intense stare was too much for the other carrier, and she responded to her while her eyes were turned away. "It's nothing. Just a stupid scene that holds no power over me."

"Pfft, you are a horrible liar, dear sister. You might not want to say it out loud, but your dreams are the opposite. Your dazed look the other night said a lot about what you're struggling with. I remember the words, 'I'm not strong enough,' being uttered by you."

A sharp intake of breath originated from Zuikaku. "So what? It was just a random dream, nothing else happened during our analysis of that woman."

"Enough! Please, Zui. We're sisters, and we can tell when the other has troubles. I don't need Hornet's silence or your nightmare provoked screams to know that you are keeping something that is eating away at you. You can stay there and be silent about it, refusing to accept the reality of things, or you can let me in. I feel this all started when I saw you punch that wall when we were in Azur Lane—is this the same as that?"

Zuikaku finally looked at her sister, and her eyes widened at the soul-crushing look of depression she had on her face. "Okay… sis." What proceeded, was Zuikaku telling her the lost details that she didn't disclose earlier.

She soon finished the explanation in its entirety, along with the grim details of seeing herself getting killed by the doppelganger they had captive.

Shoukaku stood in horrified bewilderment from the truth revealed. "Dear… sister—" Her words could not hope to comfort her sister's fears, so she let her actions do the expression with a heartfelt hug.

The brown-haired woman relaxed into her sister's embrace once she had finished all the details. "I ask myself why I even care that some look-alike got killed while I'm perfectly fine. But then… I remember when she knocked my sword away, and that moment, I felt the power gap between us. It was like running into a wall of concrete. My frustrations and my fears are on par with each other, and none give me room to breathe."

Shoukaku soothed her sister with light motions directed toward her back. "That's understandable. You're one to run in head-first toward any challenge, and to add in the fear you feel for that woman shook the foundation of your fighting philosophy."

Zuikaku reflected on those words. She wouldn't outwardly declare that she was afraid of the doppelganger, however, she wouldn't act overly confident if she had to fight her. There were outlined fears in her heart that related to that woman. Even if she denied it, there was a feeling of trepidation when the possibility of fighting her was the topic. "This is something I'll have to work through, right? I doubt it will go away on its own."

"You have me, Zui. Your sister will always be there for fire-support, so just don't worry about that. And while we're at it, the next time you see her, make a big face at her and show her how not scared you are."

"B-but…"

"You can be scared but never show it to the one that scares you. In time, you'll find yourself not having the impulse to be terrified around them."

Zuikaku light-heartedly sighed at the supportive words. "Thanks, Shou."

"Of course, you know that I'm here for you whenever you need me. Now, I don't want you hiding painful burdens like these at all, so if I find out that you were still keeping woeful emotions such as these from anyone else, well… just savor this tempura meal, as there might not be one for a while." She calmly explained, her serious aura masked by her nonchalant attitude.

"Oh, yikes! Very well, sister," she said with a small smile. Her eyes still held conflict, but she was happy that she could talk it out and ease her pain. "Umm… since we're on this topic. There is one more thing I would like to say."

She earned her sister's attention who had taken a sip of her tea. "W-what is it?"

Zuikaku had felt elevated by their last topic, that her face retained a dreamy smile. "About woeful emotions. While I don't really see this as woeful in the general sense that it brings me pain, it does make my heart heavy… in a good way."

Shoukaku raised an eyebrow, her attention undivided now.

"This woeful feeling comes from how helpless my heart is to tell the one I love how I feel. I'm sure you have seen me feeling quiet and distant. I was so close in telling her how I felt but I chickened out in the last second. The rest, well, you saw me punch the wall in frustration."

Shoukaku leaned forward, captivation shown on her face. One could say she had a suspenseful awestruck that was on the tipping point for she had a strong idea on who it might be.

"Know that what I feel for her is strong and true. In time, I would like your support on our relationship when I do muster the courage to tell her how I feel."

"Enterprise?" She knew the name to the 'her' her sister continued to use to evade. It all clicked in a heartbeat just by the fact that Zuikaku had been with the Eagle Union when she had punched that wall. Her ideas were also reinforced at how clingy Zuikaku had been around the Eagle Union. Of course, she had other personal reasons that she thought might have been the case, but love was not one of them.

"Yeah… who knew that love could sweep me off my feet like that. I hope that you can accept my choice in partner," said Zuikaku, unable to properly look at her with her blush in full effect.

"I can't say that I expected this at all. All along, I noticed your behavior changed. I greatly believed that whatever was pulling you toward Enterprise was that of a sisterly connection—boy, I was wrong!" Playfully remarked the white-haired crane sister with a brush of her forehead from her hand.

Zuikaku could see an expression of relief plastered all over her sister's face. "You thought I saw her as a sister?!"

Shoukaku released the pent-up joyful laugh that she had been holding back. "I did. That, I consider being something more momentous than your secret feelings for her. As that is not the case, then yes… I would accept your relationship if you can tell her your feelings. That's my only condition."

Zuikaku feared that if she kept smiling, then her face would eternally be stuck that way. Her night had many transformations, from simply eating shrimp tempura to confiding in her sister about her fears, to now expressing the love she had for the Eagle Union carrier. Knowing that her sister was on board with her love, all she needed was to capture the white-haired carrier of her heart.

**(Enterprise)**

In Azur Lane, the white-haired carrier gazed at the moon from the window that resided in her room. Her face looked at peace, yet inside, her mind assaulted her with the encounter of the mysterious winged creature. Sensing that a storm was brewing due to the surfacing of the creature, she sneakily made her way out of the room.

In the hallway, she sneaked until she reached the reception desk of the medical wing. She had the ability to go off grounds if she desired, but she preferred to not stand around and explain her reasons. Seeing that the reception area was empty, she dashed to the exit doors.

"Miss Enterprise?"

That voice. Enterprise could never mistake it for anyone else that made her retract her previous statement. If she were forced to stand around and explain things, then the one who owned that voice would be an exception. "Belfast? You're still here?" She said when she turned around to face her.

The maid stood outside a doorway that was connected to the hallway that the Eagle Union came from. In her hands, she held up two disposable coffee cups. "I am. The thing is…" she looked embarrassed and evasive. "… I was wondering if you wanted some coffee."

"Well, I'll never say no to a cup if offered. I see two though."

The Eagle Union's words smoked out any hidden agendas from the other woman. "Quite perceptive and a bit aggravating. But then again, I should always be honest with you. I came back to see if you wanted company. It wouldn't feel right to leave you unattended while another incident could arise."

"Coffee and company with Belfast, I don't think I can possibly say no. Could you wait for me though," she said while her eyes looked at the exit.

"Huh? Where are you heading off to at this time of night?"

"There's something I want to check up with my eagle and that's the truth," replied Enterprise with a smile.

Belfast could see that Enterprise was telling the truth by looking into her eyes. However, the reason for it was hidden behind something deeper. "Is it serious?"

"No—at least, I don't think it is. If it were, you know that you would be one of the first to know," said Enterprise.

Her response vibrated with the truth that put the maid at ease. "Very well. Don't keep the coffee waiting!" She blurted out, hoping that Enterprise wouldn't notice that her tones to her words could replace the word 'coffee' with 'me'.

Enterprise softly chuckled. "Of course. Five minutes," she said and dashed out of the reception area.

A short run later, Enterprise was outside in the darkness where the dock was located. She whistled and waited. For some time, all she could hear were the sounds of the sea. Then the night responded to her with a sound of fluttering wings.

Her bird, in all his glory, descended from the night and landed on a wooden mass near the edge of the dock.

Enterprise raised her left arm for her eagle to come closer.

The confusion was evident on the bird as he tilted his head in bewilderment.

This caused the white-haired woman to sigh. "Sorry, pal. My right arm is out of commission for a bit. I know you prefer landing on that one, but just humor me…"

The eagle cried out in acceptance and landed on her left arm.

"Good. So… what you been up to?" She didn't expect for her bird to respond in any coherent language, so she continued. "Me? Faced a look-alike that wants to kill me, lost the ability to freely use my right arm, and I'm faced with a scenario that if my look-alike dies then so do I. Hope you haven't been going through the same? Maybe you have…" she said gravely when she thought back on the dark-winged beast from earlier. "Hey, there's something I want you to look into. Keep your eyes peel for any competing eagles out there—primarily dark and creepy ones, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean when you see them. Don't get close to them and let me know right away if you see any eagles like that."

Her eagle stared at her and bowed its head slightly.

The bandaged right arm of the Eagle Union carrier slowly raised, and she slowly stretched her middle finger and index finger to offer a light pat on her eagle's head. "There… now fly."

Once it had its fill of being praised, the eagle took to the skies to carry out its assignment.

**I originally was going to have a Zuikaku and Enterprise moment in this chapter but decided on pushing it to the next chapter, as I couldn't find a perfect place to insert it without throwing off the events. I'm not sure if it's going to be the next chapter or the one after that, but there will be a pivotal chapter that I'm eagerly excited to write and will layout most of the key points of the story, primarily the backstory of E-2. Expect that soon within two chapters at the most.**


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